Draw Me In
by TimeLady S0nya
Summary: "I gotta say, for a dog, you're awfully catlike." Patting Touga on the head, Niki snickered to herself at his halfhearted growl. "Don't even try, that doesn't work on me..." (With Sonya trapped in a stone, what will Touga do when he realizes Niki is more than meets the eye?) Third and Final installment of my Inuyasha series! Read Surrender Unto Me and Eyes of the Devil first.)
1. Chapter 1

**Alright, about yesterday, I can seriously explain and I'm certain that several of you that have written and posted stories on here can relate at least once to this:**

 **First my computer decided to restart on me after typing up half of the story. (Good thing I wrote it all down in a notebook before hand so it's not like anything important was lost.)**

 **Second when I managed to get it going again, FF wouldn't load right, it took nearly a half hour of refreshing and closing out before it finally decided to work.**

 **Finally when I did get it typed up on here, when I hit submit, the damn thing freaked out on me and didn't save.**

 **So all in all, I got fed up with it and just called it quits for the night and closed everything out. I realize I prolly should have sent a author's note about it and all but I was just done for the night is all, I was too fed up with it.**

 **Anyway now that's out of the way, welcome to the third and final installment of my series: Draw Me In!**

 **As I've stated, it's mainly Touga/Niki, some Sesshomaru/Sonya so don't expect too much fluff from the normal two.**

 **I realize I've left you all off at a huge cliffhanger, and to be honest, it wasn't planned I just sort of winged it when I wrote the last few paragraphs. But the end result was satisfying so I left it at that.**

 **Ummm I think that's it for now so... On to the story!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya and Niki as well as the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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The bright sun above nearly blinded them as they stepped outside the hut, making Kagome lift a hand to shield her eyes with a grimace. "Now then, I am sure ye have questions about my guest." Kiade slowly lowered herself down to a bench next to the shrine steps. Once settled down, she looked up at the three gathered in front of her and gestured for them to sit down as well.

When they all settled down, she let out a soft sigh, her gaze drifting over to her hut where Niki was, a contemplative look on her face. "As I'm sure you noticed, she she bears a striking resemblance to Sonya, aye?"

The three of them all shared a quick look before nodding in agreement. "Yes, she looks just like her..." Kagome murmured finally, turning to look at Kiade with a questioning frown pulling at her lips. "You don't think she's-"

"no, no, I thought she may have been Sonya's reincarnation myself when I first saw her wandering through the forest." Pausing, she shook her head with a wry smile on her face. "I feared the worst of course, it only being a month since I last saw her, ye can imagine my confusion seeing how old niki is." Stopping again, she glanced over at Kagome with a fond smile. "Of course, there's the matter of how she looked and where she was that reminded me of Kagome's appearance, with that in mind, I lead her back to my hut."

"Wait, what do you mean, how she looked?" Kagome cut in, obvious confusion flashing across her features. turning her attention to the younger Miko, Kiade frowned in thought. "Do ye remember the clothes ye wore when ye first arrived here?"

Blinking slightly, Kagome thought back to that day and nodded slowly. "Yeah, they were my school clothes..." Trailing off, her light brightened with understanding as if a switch was clicked in her mind. A small gasp slipped from her lips as she jerked her head around to stare at the hut in surprise. "Don't tell me she was wearing..."

Kiade nodded as well, her eyes shifting over to Touga and Inuyasha, both who wore identical expressions of confusion. "Aye, the clothing she wore looked to be made in the same fashion as the clothing from your time, Kagome."

* * *

Blinking at the wall across from her, Niki quietly listened to the conversation happening outside. Once the old Miko mentioned Kagome came from a different time, she frowned slightly in confusion. _'Time travel? That can't be real, can it?'_

For all she knew, it was a normal part of life. despite the faint feeling that everything around her was just... Not wrong per-say, just... Off, that's the word. Everything just seemed to be a little off somehow, but she couldn't put her finger on it no matter how hard she thought about it. Almost as if whatever it was kept dancing right out of her reach, like a bad dream where she couldn't grab whatever object she was chasing after.

Turning around, she rested her back against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor with a small sigh. "Man, what kind of situation have I fallen into here? It's like some tragic odyssey or something." With a soft groan under her breath, Niki let her head fall forward into her hands and closed her eyes.

After a moment of silence, the others outside began to talk again, another voice joining in on the conversation. What was that woman's name again? Sayga? Sangine? Sango! That was it, Sango.

"So, you're suggesting she came from my era, Kiade?"

"It's possible, how she ended up with that gem, however is a complete mystery."

"It is strange. When we left the cave, it just burst into a bright light then vanished. If what you're telling us is accurate, then it must have fallen into her hands the same day it vanished."

"you're right, Sango. But how did she get it? Sesshomaru is never going to trust her after he found she had it."

Leaning her head back against the wall, Niki simply let the faint conversation wash over her. _'What's so special about some stone? Granted it's strange it could talk and all, but with everything else going on around here, I assumed it was normal.'_

"-Of this is irrelevant in light of the fact that she cannot recall anything about herself. Much less how she came across the stone."

That was the older one, Toboggan or something. Apparently name were not her forte. A small, amused smile twitched her lips at the thought.

"Well, Miroku is going to get Kohaku, he might be able to help her remember something at least."

"We can only hope. She puts up a strong mask, but it is easy to see how sad and lost she is."

Finally hearing enough, Niki got to her feet and straightened the priestess clothes Kiade loaned her with a slight grimace. the clothes she wore earlier were definitely more comfortable. After making sure the cloth hung right, she pulled out a pair of glasses and set them on her nose, then with a firm not on her self, she stepped outside and took a deep breath of fresh air, savoring the scent of pine that drifted across her nose. _'I love pine trees.'_

"Oh, you're awake." Kagome's voice drew her attention away from picking out the different scents in the air and over to where she and the others were standing. "move like I couldn't sleep." She flashed them a wide smile, a finger reaching up to push her glasses into place automatically while studying her new acquaintances with better eyesight. "Oh, so you do look alike." Niki laughed to herself lightly once she spotted the two obvious demons standing there. "Father and son, no doubt about that."

"What's that thing on your face?" Inuyasha finally butted in, his eyes narrowed slightly while he took a few steps forward to study them closer. reaching up, Niki adjusted her glasses again and raised an eyebrow at both him and Toboggan as they crept closer. "They're glasses, I have terrible eyesight."

"Feh, you humans have bad eyes anyway." Folding his arms, Inuyasha snorted and walked away, seemingly finished with his bout of curiosity. Touga however seemed even more so as he came to a stop in front of her. Leaning her head back, Niki looked up at him just as curiously. "You know, it hurts the neck to look up at you when you're this close."

Without saying a word, he reached out and plucked the glasses off of her face so he could hold them up to the light. "Hey! You can't just go taking things off of people's faces! That's plain _rude!"_ Niki protested, attempting to grab them back only for Touga to raise them higher above her reach. "Give those back damn it! I can't see anything with them!"

"You can see me, or you would be unable to tell where I am." He responded easily, turning his attention away from the glasses in his hand and down to the fuming woman in front of him with one eyebrow raised. Niki let out a furious huff of air at what he said. "It's a figure of speech, I can't see detail or anything far away without them. Everything goes fuzzy about a foot or so away."

"Fuzzy?" his curiosity in the glasses forgotten for now, he leaned closer to the woman and tipped his head to the side. "What does a soft object have to do with your sight?"

Letting out a low sigh, Niki ran a hand down her face, deep in thought. "it's like... Um..." Trailing off, she tried to think of a way to explain what she meant. "Oh! It's like when you rub your eyes really hard and everything goes out of focus for a second or two. You can see shapes and colors, but you can't make out anything detailed."

Touga thought over what she said for a moment then nodded, seemingly satisfied with her explanation and straightened back up to resume studying the glasses once more. "I see, so you are saying your sight is worse than other humans?"

"Yes, _very_ much so, now if you don't mind could I have those back?" Niki held out her hand impatiently for her glasses, eyes locked onto the said object as Touga slowly returned them to her.

Once they were back on her face, she blinked a couple of times to settle her vision down and smiled with relief once it cleared. "Much better. Now then-" With a scowl crawling across her features, she turned back to Touga and smacked him on the arm much to his surprise and the amusement of the women still standing there. "Don't go just taking whatever you want! Do you know how rude that is?"

Blinking down at her, Touga couldn't think of anything to say. While she was in Sesshomaru's presence, her fear was so thick he could nearly taste it. When talking to Inuyasha, she smelled of irritation. Right now, he could easily scent pure and simple frustration and nothing else as she planted her hands on her hips and continued ranting at him.

Hearing enough, he placed a hand over her mouth, earning a demon-worthy glare from her once he did. When he was certain she wouldn't start yelling again, he dropped his hand once more, wary of her narrow-eyed expression that spoke volumes more than she could ever say with words. "Woman, enough." he finally spoke, his ears pricking at the three female sighs sounding behind him simultaneously once he spoke.

"Woman?" Niki's quiet voice drew his gaze down, confusion at the obvious spike in anger at that word flitting across his features. "you are female, are you not?"

A small groan came from behind this time, making Touga look over his shoulder at Kagome and Sango as the both of them planted their faces in their hands at the same time while Kiade simply shook her head.

"That's not the point, Toboggan. The point is you really see me so far benieth you that you won't even bother saying my name instead you degrade me by saying my gender like it's below you." Her 1quiet voice made him blink again. The words she spoke were obviously angry, but the way she said them was calm almost, for some reason, it seemed more dangerous than if she had screamed them.

"Touga."

"Whatever, if you can't say my name, I won't bother to remember yours, Toboggan." With a slight sniff and a lift of her chin, she spun around on her heel and walked away, completely dismissing him without a second thought.

In utter confusion, he turned to Kagome as she and Sango walked up beside him. Looking up at the bewildered demon, Kagome patted his arm sympathetically. "you've just been given what girls from my time call 'The Cold Shoulder'." With that said, she and Sango followed after Niki, intent on catching up with her before she got too far ahead.

Touga on the other hand...

He didn't even know what to do or say.

One thing was for sure- This woman was beginning to become very interesting each time she opened her mouth.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 **Welp here is the second chapter! Hope it's just as good, I sorta trailed in the middle there for a bit, I really didn't know what to talk about besides what they were focused on. The important bit is at the end. HINT what Inuyasha says. Bet you can't guess why!**

 **Ummm Anyway other than that it's it. Though I would enjoy more reviews, I only got one and that's from Kiwidel (If I spelled it wrong, sorry) Come on folks, you know I need them to keep going. I gotta have inspiration to write and you guys are the main reason I do it. Let me know what you think!**

 **I think that's it, onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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Ducking her head under the water, Niki rinsed the soap from her hair and came back up for air. With a suspicious glance around, she reached for the small bar of soup Kagome gave her before beginning to wash her body. She just couldn't shake the feeling that at least something was watching her. When thinking back over all the odd happenings since the day Kiade found her it wasn't all that hard to believe that something was out there.

A shiver raced down her spine suddenly, taking Niki by surprise and making her duck back into the hot spring quickly, one hand searching the wet ground under her feet for something decent-sized at least to throw at whoever was walking towards her.

 _'Well whoever it is, they aren't exactly being quiet about it.'_ She mused to herself, straining her ears as they picked up on footsteps hearing in her direction. Once they were close enough, she spun to face them and wound up, ready to pelt whoever they were with the fist-sized rock in her hand.

"I wonder if she's still here?"

"I'm pretty sure she is. We didn't see her on the path."

Recognizing the voices, Niki slumped in relief and relaxed back into the water again, idly noting the crawling feeling from earlier was gone. "Oh, Niki, you are still here." Kagome's voice brought her from her thoughts and over to the two women now standing beside the pool of water. "Yeah, I like to soak in hot water when I'm stressed out." She laughed idly, one hand reaching up to brush the hair from her face.

Sango and Kagome both chuckled under their breath as they set about getting ready for their own baths. "True, I know for a fact that dog demons can be irritating from time to time." Kagome slid into the water with a grateful sigh and leaned her head back against the rocks behind her. "I dealt with Inuyasha for years."

"The one with those ears right?" Niki reached up with her hands and mimicked a pair of animal ears on the top of her head with a curious expression. Seeing this, both Kagome and Sango laughed outright, making Niki scowl at them and drop her hands with an embarrassed blush. "Right, well then, not doing that again."

"No no, sorry It's just..." Kagome tried to explain, a hand reaching up to wipe the tears from her eyes. "It's just that you looked so much like Sonya for a minute it was hard not to laugh." Sango explained for her, a wry smile on her face at Niki's confused look. "Sonya?"

"Oh that's right, you haven't really heard about her, have you?" Kagome shook her head, the mirth in her expression melting away to a dispondant one instead. "You see, that stone you had holds her soul. It's trapped in there and we have no idea how to get it out and back into her body."

"Oh, so that annoying voice was..?"

"Sonya, yes." Sango nodded, leaning back against the rocks again with a distant look in her eyes. "Someone tried to use her powers for themselves and ended up trapping her in there with a spell. And no one knows how to fix it, not even Touga, and he's the oldest one here, he should know at least something. Maybe Miyoga will have better luck."

"Oh! I know him, that flea!" Niki clapped her hands with a grin on her face, brushing off the uneasy feeling she got when they directed the conversation away from how she 'looked like Sonya' and instead focused on the problem. "He came here about three days ago looking for Kaiade. I think I gave the poor guy a heart-attack when he saw me."

"I can imagine..." Sango and Kagome shared a look then started washing themselves quickly, obvious discomfort coloring their features.

"Alright, that's enough. What's going on with you two, you keep ignoring the whole 'I look like her' thing." Niki folded her arms and narrowed her eyes at the two women across from her. "Out with it."

"I guess there's no way to get around it..." Sango sighed and cast another look at Kagome while she ran her fingers through her hair in thought. "I suppose you're right..." The Miko sighed too and turned to face Niki with a small frown pulling at her lips. "You see... Sonya is... Well a demon, a rare demon, the last of her kind even. And despite that you're human, you look a lot like her. It's almost unnerving to see you and hear you talk." She explained slowly, her hands cutting through the water idly while she spoke.

"You're features are so similar we believe Sesshomaru has a problem with you being around, not because you had the stone, while I'm pretty sure that's the reason he's angry right now, but once he gets past being angry, he'll be too uncomfortable around you to even do anything..." Sango added when Kagome fell silent, an apologetic smile flashing across her face at Niki's frown. "He and Sonya are mates, and if you're around, he might start feeling upset because there's a human that looks and acts like her. We're certian he'll only get upset over it."

"I see... So maybe it's best if I don't go with you then." Niki slumped her shoulders and ducked her head down slightly. "It'd probably be best if I stuck around here." With that said, she turned and pulled herself out of the water, the sight of her back making both women suck in surprised breaths. "Oh..."

"Hm? What? Do I have something stuck to me?" Niki turned and looked over her shoulder curiously, trying to see what they were surprised about. "What?"

"Tattoos, you have tattoos. I knew you weren't from this time!" Kagome clapped her hands together in excitement. "Now we have something to start with!"

"Huh? Tattoos? yeah I have a couple, there's one here on my arm and one on my chest, didn't you see them?" Shifting her towel to cover herself better, Niki turned around and pointed to the wiccan symbol on the left of her chest then held out her right arm to show them the words 'bad wolf' tattooed there. "I didn't know I had any on my back though."

"Yes, they're rather unusual though." Sango stepped out of the water too and circled around behind Niki, leaning closer to study the tattoos there. "A pair of wings and the words 'let's die together' underneath them."

"Oh..." Niki frowned in thought, something tickling at the back of her mind when Sango said those words. "Romeo and Juliet..."

"What?" Kagome got out of the hot spring too to join Sango in studying the tattoos closer. "Romeo and Juliet, the tragic love story." Niki said louder, her eyes unfocused as she dredged up the faint information beginning to appear in her mind. Drawing her eyebrows together, she tried to catch the words before they slipped away. "They... They loved each other with more than anything... Then no one wanted them to... To be together." She got out slowly, still working on remembering as the other two there stayed silent, letting her work through it on her own.

"Then she tried to meet him in secret so they could run away... Faked her death. He thought it was real and killed himself... So... So he could join her in the afterlife... But when she woke up, she saw him laying there with the poison held in his hand, so thrust his dagger into her own chest, doing what he had done... If they couldn't be together in life... They could be together in death." Lifting her hand up, she rubbed at the sore spot on her head, grimacing at the pain shooting through her brain. "I wanted something to remind me of that, to let me know nothing would be better..."

"Niki..?" Kagome's voice sounded far away as Niki furrowed her eyebrows farther, eyes closing tight as she tried to grasp the information better, trying to get it to stay as it slowly began filtering through her mental fingers. "I... I..." The pain grew with each attempt to grab at the memory, the faint image of someone holding her hand... A boy... Then everything went dark.

* * *

 _"Is she going to be okay?"_

 _"Aye, child. She merely pushed herself too hard. Let her rest for now."_

 _"But when is she going to wake up?"_

 _"I do not know, for now let her sleep. Recovering memories after one has lost them can prove to be difficult. It is surprising she remembered as much as she did."_

 _"I guess you're right..."_

 _"Come on, Shippo, let her sleep and eat your ramen before it gets cold."_

 _"Alright, Kagome..."_

The faint voices from around her drew Niki from her sleep and back into the waking world. _'Hmm...'_ Straining her ears, she listened to the sounds around her, slowly picking out the people there. One was obviously Kiade, then there was Kagome, and a childlike voice that belonged to someone named Shippo. There was a shuffle from the side suggesting another person was there, but they weren't speaking so it was hard to tell just who it was.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Niki focused on the faint conversation going on near what she suspected to be the fire judging from the small crackles. Then there was that smell of burning wood... Yep, fire. Must be dinnertime.

"What do you think, Kagome?"

"Well, she's definitely from my era. We know that at least. She knew about the story of Romeo and Juliet, it's something that everyone learns about when they go to high school, so she's at least that old..." Kagome trailed off, leaving Niki frustrated with how little she knew about what they were talking about.

"True enough, child. I had seen these Tattoos you spoke of while tending to her days ago. I simply did not know what they were and left them be."

"But, what do tattoos have to do with anything?" That would be the child... Chippy? Hippo..?

"They mean she's from my era, or at least close to it." Kagome explained softly, earning a quiet ' _ah_ ' from the child.

The mysterious figure off to her right shifted again, sending a waft of pine across her nose and making her body relax at the smell. _'Smells like home...'_ A small frown pulled at her lips when that thought crossed her mind. _'Home..?'_

"What is this Tattoo you are speaking of?" Oh it's that jerk Toboggan then... Niki growled mentally at the fact he was even there, still irritated over the fact he took it upon himself to look at her glasses without even asking! Who does that anyway?

"They're like... The crests on your cheeks, Touga. Except she wasn't born with them, some people pay money to have someone else draw on them with ink that sits under the skin. They're permanent." Kagome tried to explain, Niki could just picture her helpless shrug that accompanied the words and almost smiled at the image.

"Why would someone do such a thing?" Sango sounded surprised and confused at the fact. "It sounds painful."

"it is, they use a needle covered in ink to poke at the skin until it's stuck underneath..." Kagome trailed off again, seemingly in thought as the others fell silent over what she just explained.

"Why people do it..? I don't know, I guess they might like the thought of having a picture on them forever. I don't personally know anyone with a tattoo though, so I'm not sure. You'd have to ask her when she gets up."

"It sounds interesting." Toboggan murmured from where he sat, drawing all eyes to him, watching as he gazed at the apparently sleeping woman. Sango and Kagome shared a knowing glance, small grins pulling at their lips before they quickly hid it behind masks of indifference. "Well I suppose you could say that." Kagome shrugged her shoulders, seemingly unaware of the way Touga was acting and turning back to her food.

Shippo inched closer to Niki, a curious light shining in his eyes before Kagome grabbed his tail and drug him back next to her. "I said leave her alone, Shippo."

"Oh alright..." The little kit pouted and picked up his bowl of ramen, resuming eating once again.

* * *

Brushing aside the rush mat in the doorway, Touga stepped outside, his mind elsewhere as he began walking through the village, aiming for the forest named after his youngest son. He knew she had been awake to hear the conversation, what he couldn't figure out was why she didn't speak up at the time. _'Perhaps she wished for peace...'_

Feeling a familiar aura, he stopped and looked up, surprised despite himself to see he had walked all the way to the very tree Inuyasha had been pinned against. The same tree that the said half-demon was sitting in at the moment actually.

"What do you want, Old Man?" Inuyasha snorted, his ears flicking back and forth on his head, indicating irritation at something as he glanced down at his father from the corner of his eyes.

"What troubles you?" Touga ignored his question and sat on one of the upraised roots, one eyebrow raising in question as his youngest snorted and turned his head away from him. "It's nothing."

"Do not lie to me, pup. Now speak your mind."

Cutting off a sharp remark, Inuyasha flattened his ears to his head at the sound of an Alpha, submitting despite his aggravation at the moment. "It's that girl."

"The human, Niki?"

"Yeah... It's weird being around here is all." Inuyasha muttered and folded his arms across his chest, still refusing to look down at his father while he spoke. "Her scent is... It's like mother's was when she was alive."

At this Touga furrowed his brows, trying to figure out what the pup was saying. "She smells nothing like Izaiyoi." He finally spoke, looking up at the red-clad figure of Inuyasha as it shifted slightly, obviously uncomfortable with the subject.

"I didn't say she smelled just like her, she just smells... Familiar. That's all." With that said, Inuyasha stood up and jumped away, effectively ending the conversation with his father. Intent on putting enough distance between him and the older male before he began questioning him again. It wasn't that he didn't like the woman, while she was irritating, so was Sonya. It was her scent, it smelled almost like his own mother's scent. Familiar, but he couldn't figure out just what it was either.

And it bothered him more than he cared to admit.

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	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 **Here is chapter three! Woo this one took a bit to write, I couldn't think of anything else to put at the end until just a few minutes ago, so if it seems a bit out of place, my bad.**

 **As for all of your questions about Niki and if she's Sonya's reincarnation/descendant? I'm not gonna say anything to give it away, but if you think about it, one of those can't quite be right considering Sonya's soul is still trapped within the stone. Think on that a bit.**

 **And for the reviews I got, I saw a few new faces in there and I'm glad to find out they've read the series all this time. I realized it was pretty popular and it makes me feel great about writing.**

 **Oh! And just a little funny thing I want to explain here:**

 **Some of you are probably confused as to WHY I find Sonya being so popular in this story so amusing/cool? Well let me try to explain:**

 **The thing is, Sonya is a familiar character in the fact of not only being the person that made her, but I've used her character (A bit different though) in a roleplay site I'm part of. She's a Time Lord there and with the twisted/horrible/confusing backstory some of the new members that show up to the site seem to think she's an actual cannon in the Doctor Who show the site is for. I've been asked multiple times if she was cannon by new members and it never ceases to amuse me.**

 **The reason I think it's so cool that you all like her is because despite her being the same person, just different species, she seems to fit in anywhere I put her. I developed her over the course of nearly five years now and it's just... Amazing to see how well she incorporates into different stories and fandoms. It probably doesn't interest you to know this, but I thought it was anyway.**

 **Ummm i think that's it so onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

 _'Show me a smile.'_

 _'Haha, you're so adorable sometimes!'_

 _'Oh shush, I'm coming, I'm coming...'_

 _'Why on earth do you insist on waking up at this time every night?'_

Jerking upright, Niki sucked in a startled breath, the faint remnants of her dream filtering through her thoughts as they began to vanish. Reaching up, she brushed her damp bangs from her sweaty face, her eyes staring blankly at the wall across from her, absolutely bewildered as to why she was having a mild panic-attack. Dropping her hand back to her lap, she drew in a deep pull of air, trying to calm her racing heart.

While focused on calming down, Niki almost missed the faint feeling of something warm dropping on her hand. Looking down, she blinked at the small drop of water sitting there on her skin. _'Huh..?'_ As she watched, another drop wavered before her eyes before falling to join the other one. Confused, she lifted her other hand up and brushed at her eyes, surprised to find them damp with tears. _'I'm... Crying..?'_

Frustration taking over, she roughly wiped at her eyes, intent on getting rid of the irritating wetness that lingered there. Once done, she got to her feet and carefully made her way around the sleeping bodies laying across the floor and stepped outside. Lifting her head up, Niki smiled at the full moon above, feeling herself relax under it's silver light.

"So pretty." Her own voice nearly making her jump. Scoffing under her breath at how wound up she was, Niki began walking down the path, simply enjoying the quiet night as she wandered through the sleeping village by herself.

 _'It's so calm here. At least during the night anyway.'_ Laughing quietly to herself, she shook her head. 'During the day, I can't walk through this place without getting mobbed by a bunch of kids.' A fond smile pulled at her lips when she remembered one of the little boys giving her a small bouquet of flowers that afternoon when he learned she may be leaving with the resident travelers when they decided to get going again. He looked so heart-broken about it, she ended up playing games with him and his friends for the rest of the day. It only ended when she begged to go wash herself.

Heaving a small sigh, she sent a wistful smile up at the stars. "Why can't life ever be easy, huh?" Of course, the little points of light couldn't answer her, no matter how much she wished they would.

"Because then you shouldn't be truly living, would you? Simply existing."

Then again, there were rather aggravating demons that could answer her. even if it wasn't what she wanted.

"What do you want, Toboggan? Can't you see i'm enjoying my peaceful walk?" Folding her arms, she continued staring up at the sky, refusing to look over at him as he drew closer.

"Touga. Yet again I must tell you my name."

"And yet again, I don't care. Imagine that."

Hearing a faint growl, Niki turned and smirked up at the full male beside her with amusement. "Was that a growl? I wasn't aware sleds could even speak, learn something new every day."

"My name is Touga, you would do well to remember that." Flexing his claws, he shot a sideways look at the woman beside him, trying to judge her reaction.

"And I really don't give a flying fuck. _You_ would do well to remember that, Sled Dog." Tossing her shoulder-length hair slightly, she turned away from him and walked off, heading back to Kiade's hut, leaving a fuming Daiyokai behind.

* * *

"Lord Touga! Lord Touga!" A familiar sting on the side of his neck jerked Touga from his thoughts and back to the present. Reaching up, he plucked the flea from his perch and held him up at eye level. "Miyoga, I trust you've had luck in finding something?"

Nodding his head frantically, the flea waved his arms wildly. "Yes! Yes! But you only have a week to get there and fix everything! You must leave now!"

Squeezing the poor flea slightly, Touga let slip a sub-sonic growl, too low for human ears, but more than enough for both of his sons to hear. "Why is there only a week, Miyoga?"

"Because the witch I found only stays in one place for that long. It was a small miracle I found her when I did! She agreed to wait for your pack at the base of Mount Fuji and offer her help with Sonya. Apparently she is the same witch that exchanged Sonya's soul with Kagura's. She believes she may know of a way to put her soul back in her body in the same fashion."

While Miyoga explained, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha appeared, hearing just enough to understand why they were called. "So the witch offered her services? Do you not believe this to be another trap?" Sesshomaru's cold voice cut through the night air, somehow making it feel colder in the process.

"I believe she had, no true desire to harm Sonya. In fact, she expressed that Kagura's original demand was for Sonya's soul to be set adrift rather than her body. But the witch took pity on her and instead bound Sonya into the wind Witch's body."

hearing this, Inuyasha and his father both shared a look. "So, she really was Kagura from the start."

"Unfortunately. I suspect the day she died and came back was the very moment their souls switched places." Touga shot a meaningful look over at Sesshomaru as his eldest glanced down at the stone he still grasped in his hand. It wasn't hard to figure out just what was on his mind when a faint disgusted look crossed his face before vanishing behind his mask once more.

Biting back a chuckle, touga turned his attention back to Miyoga. "Very well, go wake the others, Inuyasha. We are leaving straight away." A quiet grunt of agreement met his ears before the hanyo vanished into the trees in the direction of the village.

"Sesshomaru."

Pausing from his attempt to walk away unnoticed, his eldest turned slightly to look over his shoulder at Touga. "Despite your anger, that human woman will be travelling with us."

A flare of anger answered his statement then vanished along with Sesshomaru, leaving a lingering feeling of distaste in the air behind.

Shaking his head, touga ran a hand across his face, at a complete loss as to how one tiny slip of a woman, with no memories at all, could antagonize his two children more than anything else ever had.

Not to mention make him break his legendary self-control as well.

Another sigh slipped from him as he let the now-quiet flea hop onto his shoulder and turned towards the village to help the pack prepare for travel.

* * *

"Kagome, we don't have time for you to go to your era!" Inuyasha's voice met Touga as he brushed aside the mat in front of the door and stepped inside the hut.

"Well, sorry to tell you, but we need supplies! I'm not going anywhere unless I have some of the basics!"

Both were standing nose to nose, obvious sparks shooting from their eyes as they glared at each other, furious the other one wasn't listening.

"Oh good god, shut up!" Niki broke between the two of them, her eyebrows drawn together in anger as she pushed them apart and pointed a finger at Kagome, easily gaining the Miko's attention. "You, go through the well and get what you need."

Turning around, she pointed at Inuyasha, glaring at him once he opened his mouth to keep him quiet. "And you, stay here to wait for her. The rest of us will go on ahead. At most it'll only take her a couple of hours right? So let her get her supplies and we'll keep going. That way no time is lost and she gets what she needs. Everyone is happy and we're all good."

Turning to look at Touga, she raised an eyebrow at him in question. "Is that acceptable, Sled Dog?"

Biting back a growl at her, Touga nodded shortly then stepped back outside to avoid the amused looks he was shot at the demeaning name she had given him. _'That woman...'_

His ears twitched slightly at the soft sounds of agreement when she asked them the same question she asked him. "Good, then let's get ready. Kagome you go ahead and leave, don't worry about helping us get things ready. The faster you get over there, the faster you can get done."

"Alright, it'll only take a couple of hours at the most." Kagome stepped outside, a harassed look in her eyes as she started running towards the well at top speed. "Don't worry about it! I'll be back soon!" She called over her shoulder before vanishing into the trees.

A shuffle from behind made Touga turn and watch as Niki stepped outside as well, her eyes drifting over to the east as the sky began to lighten little by little, extinguishing the points of light with each second.

"Ah, sunrise, good. I was worried we'd have to walk in the dark..."

"It would not have been an issue." Touga grunted in response, earning a narrow look from her as she turned to stare up at him. "Maybe not for you. But for me, I can't eactly see at night, now can I?"

"Your sight is so bad you cannot see in the dark?"

"No, I'm human, humans don't exactly have great eyesight in the dark." Niki rolled her eyes and pulled her glasses off, gently wiping them on the sleeve of her haori before replacing them. "I better ask Kiade where my clothes are. I'm not travelling in these for anything."

With that she turned around and walked back into the hut, mumbling under her breath about clothing and how itchy it was.

Watching as she walked back inside, Touga let out a small breath, trying to wrap his head around the fact that she would be travelling with them for now on. 'At least until she regains her memories...' He brightened at the thought and followed her into the hut to finish preparing for travel.

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	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Alright let me just start this off by saying how sorry I am for not updating sooner. As of late, I've been caught between rping with people on the Doctor Who site I'm part of, taking care of my daughter and dealing with a lot of stress, so I just didn't have it in me to write, much less find the time to do it.**

 **But I'm back in buisness now because I went out and splurged on a few notebooks so I could work on each chapter even while I'm not on the computer, (Something I normally hate doing.) so even while I'm cooking, I can work on it. Feel good about yourselves because it means I don't want to loose any of you readers if I'm going this far to keep the story going. I hate writing everything down by hand when I can type much faster than I can write. It's easier to get my ideas down by typing, be happy I'm doing this, seriously.**

 **Onto other things, yes, it's a little show and kinda weird at the end, but there's a reason for that and I'll be explaining it in one of the next few chapters, so before you start asking questions, just wait and see first.**

 **Ummm... Yes I know Niki seems a little knowledgeable even though she has Amniesa, but yet again, there is a reason for that, so no debating on anything until it's explained. I won't tell you what it is until it's written in the story, so don't go trying to get me to ruin the plot!**

 **Ummm I think that's it other than another apology for how late this is, and a promise of me writing up chapter five after I post this, it SHOULD be posted later tonight, but you all know how well that usually goes when I say that, all I can say is keep your fingers crossed and your eyes out for it. No promises.**

 **I think that's it for now, onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters.**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

Trailing along behind the others, Niki tipped her head back and took a deep,welcome breath of the crisp morning air. The weather was getting colder by the day, indicating fall was just around the corner. 'My kind of weather.' She hummed to herself happily, at complete ease with the chilly air. Sango and Miroku had pulled light jackets on Kagome supposedly brought back from her time the first winter she stayed here.

"Are you sure you don't want one, Niki?" Sango asked yet again as she dropped back to their new member, obvious worry written on her features. "No, I told you, I like colder weather. It doesn't bother me like it does you." With a lift of her shoulders, Niki shrugged at the curious look she received from the slayer. "Can't explain it or anything, I just like it, that's all."

Falling silent, the pack continued walking towards the distant mountain, wondering just were Kagome and Inuyasha were at as time passed steadily by. "Do you think they ran into trouble?" Shippo finally voiced out loud, worry evident in his tone from where he sat on Miroku's shoulder. "I'm sure they're fine, Shippo. You know Inuyasha won't let anything get in his way." Miroku tried to soothe the little kit with a pat on the head, but his worried expression didn't go away.

Niki watched him with a small, thoughtful frown on her face before turning into where Touga walked a little ahead of her and picked up the pace until she walked beside him. "you think we could take a break? Poor kid's going to end up with a panic attack if we put too much distance between us and them." Glancing down at the woman beside him, Touga shot a look back to where Miroku and Shippo were before nodding slightly.

"We'll rest here until Kagome and Inuyasha join us." He called to the others while leading the pack towards a small stand of trees so they could rest in the shade. With a grateful smile at him, Niki walked over to where Shippo sat, watching the direction they came from in order to see if Kagome and Inuyasha caught up with them yet and joined him. "you're worried, huh?"

"I don't like it when Kagome's away." Shippo's small shoulders slumped slightly. Seeing this, Niki smiled a little and patted his head lightly. "I'm pretty sure Inuyasha would tear anyone or anything apart if they tried to hurt Kagome. She seems pretty important to him." Casting a sideways glance at him, she smiled slyly before stretching her arms over her head. "Seems like she's pretty important to you too, wonder why that is."

Shippo felt his face heat up at what Niki said and ducked his head down. "What are you talking about? She's my friend."

"MmmHm, sure. I mean she takes care of you, spoils you, gives you more presents than anyone else and all. I can see why you love her, Kid. But you know, you'll never know what she feels if you don't ask." Niki hid a yawn behind one of her hands and laid back on the grass, her eyes closed against the sun above. "It's not like she'd get mad at you if you told her you saw her as a mother, Shippo. In fact from what I've seen so far, I think she'd be honored and touched if she knew. But that's just me."

Falling silent, she let the kit think over what she said while they relaxed in the sunlight, the faint sounds of conversation drifting over to them while they simply enjoyed each other's company.

Soft footsteps made both of them look up at Touga as he walked over, both with questioning looks on their faces. "The monk and slayer have food prepared. "Sitting down on Shippo's other side, he sent a meaningful look over at the kit before Shippo stood up and ran over to where Miroku and Sango both sat with their food to get his own.

"What you said to the kit, do you truly believe that?"

Cracking open one of her eyes, Niki looked up at Touga's profile before deciding to answer truthfully. "Yes. She's a nurturing person. She's a born mother if you paid attention. Even I knew that after only a day or two with her, she adores him and treats the kid like her own son." Falling silent, she opened both eyes and stared up at the clouds overhead thoughtfully. "I think they've both been hiding how they viewed each other because they worried the other one might get upset if they said anything. Since Kagome isn't here to convince, I had to convince him instead. Shippo may be a child, but he's got a better backbone than most people do."

Listening quietly, Touga felt a small spark of admiration at the small human beside him at her quiet observation of the pack. She had pegged both Kagome and Shippo perfectly in their actions. Something he didn't pick up on until he spent a week with them. "You're very observant."

"Not really, I just pick up on people better than most. That's all." Sitting up, Niki ran a hand through her hair before getting to her feet. "Might as well get something to eat before they get here because you know Inuyasha's going to want to go as soon as they get here."

Getting to his feet as well, Touga felt his lips twitch into a slight smile at what she said. "You certainly know my son."

"He's easy to peg. Impatient type, always on the move or wanting to be. It's not hard to pick them out really." Shrugging her shoulders, Niki walked over to where the others were and picked up one of the bowls set aside for her and sat down to eat.

Shaking his head, Touga looked back towards the direction of the well before deciding nothing new happened and joining them himself. He suspected they may be there for a while considering how Kagome looked before she left. There may be a few bags to split in the pack so everything could be carried from what he expected of the Miko.

* * *

They waited.

And waited.

And _waited._

Still no sign of Kagome or Inuyasha by the time the sun began to set, making Shippo a nervous wreck and Niki irritable.

It doesn't matter who you were or if your memory was intact or not. No one liked to be proven wrong. Stepping away from the group, she made her way over to the same spot she had sat with Shippo earlier that day and leaned her head back to stare at the stars above in silence.

While she sat there, a gentle breeze blew over her face, making her shiver slightly and grit her teeth. before she could make a move to get up, a blanket settled around her shoulders. Looking up in surprise, she caught sight of gold eyes as Touga settled down on the ground beside her. "I believe you mentioned enjoying the cold weather?"

Snorting lightly, Niki wrapped the blanket tighter around herself and looked back up at the stars, a small, unwilling smile tugging at her lips. "I do, but I noticed I get a little cold when I'm tired."

hearing this, Touga raised an eyebrow and turned his attention away from the woman beside him and up at the sky as well. "If you are tired, then why do you not sleep?"

A small laugh drew his gaze back down to her as Niki shifted slightly, trying to find a comfortable spot. "Because, I'm keeping watch for them."

Both of them fell silent after that and simply sat there, enjoying the peace surrounding the area. While he sat, Touga turned his thoughts towards his sons, both of them seemed bound to keep distance between themselves and the woman beside him. Sesshomaru for obvious reasons. Then Inuyasha's cryptic reasoning of her scent reminding him of his mother. That was what he couldn't understand, Izayoi smelled of peach blossoms, this woman smelled of fresh rain and lightning.

His musing was interrupted when a light weight seemed to settle on his upper arm, bringing his gaze around to the sight of Niki fast asleep as she leaned against him. Blinking down at her, Touga pondered just what he should do, move her back to the camp or just let her lean against him? Coming to the conclusion that he should move her back, she wrapped both arms around the one she leaned against with a soft sigh of comfort, effectively ruining any chance he had of moving her without waking her up in the process. Closing his eyes, Touga let out a sigh of his own and simply sat there, his eyes drifting up towards the sky as he waited.

Three pairs of eyes watched the two figures from their spots by the fire, two seemingly amused, one narrowed in slight irritation. "I suppose sleep would be in order." Miroku spoke up finally, drawing Sango's attention away from the scene and towards the monk beside her. "you're right. Even Inuyasha wouldn't travel this late..." She trailed off with a slight yawn and stretched her arms over her head before moving over to her makeshift bed and laying down. "They may have stayed on the other side of the well. You know how he is."

"Perhaps he wanted to spend some time alone with Kagome." Miroku smiled suggestively, earning a slight blush from the slayer as she pulled her blanket even higher up. "Don't even think about it, monk." She warned halfheartedly when he chuckled and settled down against the nearby tree. "I wouldn't dream of it, my dear Sango."

"I'm sure, you just keep your lecherous hands over there away from me tonight."

"Sango, you wound me with your accusations." Miroku chuckled again when she glared at him, snorting under her breath, Sango rolled over so her back faced him and closed her eyes to sleep. Hopefully by morning Inuyasha and Kagome would be back so they could continue on their journey, she hoped anyway.

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	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **Alright, so I started this chapter three different ways and this is the only one that I liked so I went with it. It's a little off the wall with the direction it went in near the end there, but I figured I'd have some fun with this while I'm at it.**

 **As for the late update... I did start three times, ended up scrapping the idea and going to sleep or doing something else to take my mind off of it. I don't forget plot ideas easily so I seriously have to try and wipe my mind of it before I even think about starting it over again, if I don't , it sticks with me and the new chapter I'm writing just ends up the same way in the end.**

 **Erm... Not much else to say here other than I am HOPING with this new twist on things, I'll be able to update quicker, no promises like usual. But I really do hope I'll be able to come up with another chapter by tomorrow, these long pauses in-between are killing me and I'm sure it's killing all of you too. So just keep crossing your fingers and offering your support guys, this story is gonna be rough to finish considering all the loose ends that need tidied up and everything before it's finished. By my projection, it's gonna be a lonnnnnnnng one compared to the other two.**

 **Anyway, I think that's it for now, Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

An endless field of waving grasses and purple flowers spread out before Niki as she blinked her eyes in surprise, trying to remember what she had been doing before only to come up blank. A small frown pulled at her lips as she knelt down to pick one of the flowers out of curiosity. Bringing it closer, she noticed it wasn't a single flower like she had expected, in fact, it was made of dozens of smaller flowers, all artfully grown to create the larger image she first saw.

"Misdirection, the act of fooling one's senses to believe what is not truth."

Spinning around, the woman gaped at a similar, grinning face as it approached from where it had been standing not too far away. Stopping a few feet in front of her, she allowed Niki to study her form closely, one hand reaching up to touch only to pause inches away, a small tremble betraying her confusion as it hung in the air between them.

"Who are you?"

Her double rolled her eyes and ran a hand through her white blond hair with a small, exasperated sigh. "I'm you, _che,_ I never thought I'd be this stupid."

Fuming quietly at her twin's statement, Niki curled her hands into fists and let the one in front drop back down to her side as she glared at the woman in front of her. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, if I look like you, I'm obviously you. Duh." The other Niki flashed a cocky grin at her before leaning down to pluck one of the flowers herself and held it up to her eyes, focusing on the smaller flowers it was composed of with a sudden look of intense concentration. "Misdirection, what do you think I mean when I say that?"

"Huh? You just gave me the definition. Why the hell would you ask me if you already know." Niki snorted and folded her arms over her chest, warily watching the woman in front as she slowly turned the flower to admire it from all angles. "I mean, why do you think I said it, idiot."

Huffing under her breath, Niki glanced away over to the endless field before blowing out a low breath and glancing back at her other self with a small shrug lifting one of her shoulders. "I don't know, you're the one that said it, so you tell me."

Before she could react, a finger flicked her in the forehead harshly, earning a pained yelp from her as she clapped a hand over the sore spot, a glare narrowed on her double's frustrated expression. "I've already told you I'm you, now figure it out, dumb-ass!"

"If you're me, then why are you insulting me? You're just insulting yourself in the end." Niki mumbled, rubbing a hand across her forehead and in attempt to soothe the ache there. "Because I really don't care. Names are nothing unless said by someone that means something to me." Her double shrugged and resumed her inspection of the flower with uncanny intensity once more.

"So... You're saying I don't matter to myself?"

"I don't know. Do you?"

Grinding her teeth at the frustrating conversation, Niki gave up for the moment and flopped onto the grass below, her arms folding behind her head as she stared up at the curiously red sky overhead. "Wow, sci-Fi trip all the way around."

"Tell me about it, I always figured my inner mind would be a bit more daunting and... Well terrifying after all the horror movies we would watch. But here we are... In a field of flowers and a red sky. That's probably for the best to be honest, we really don't need to be running away from zombies while we're having this heart-to-heart." Niki's other self settled on the ground beside her, mirroring her pose as they both stared up at the sky together.

"So I liked horror movies? Explains why not much phases me."

"True, you've seen much worse."

"That would explain why the thought of a demon dog holding a human form is more of a cuddly companion than a threat isn't surprising either."

"Well, if you think about it, that would just make him be more like a puppy wouldn't it? I mean throw him a tennis ball and see what he does."

"He'd probably glare at me and ask what the hell I was thinking."

"True enough, best to keep that idea to ourselves."

"This is getting confusing..."

"Yep."

Sitting up, Niki leaned back on her elbows and looked down at the woman beside her, silently watching as she closed her eyes and simply relaxed into the grass. "Care to tell me exactly why you're here?"

"I told you, Misdirection." One eye popped open to stare up at the irritated woman, amusement shimmering in the light blue color before she sat up as well and tugged on her ear lightly. "Look, think about it. What would that word mean to you?"

"I don't know, what you said I suppose. To keep someone's attention off of what I really don't want them to see." Niki batted her hand away and rubbed at her ear lightly, deep in thought as she mulled the word over in her head. "But... I don't exactly have anything to hide."

A loud laugh startled her from her thoughts and over to the other woman as she snickered under her breath, a hand coming up to wipe an imaginary tear from her eye. "You have plenty to hide, Niki. Misdirection is your solution to that. Given the opportunity, you chose to forget I'm just here to warn you if you remember, they'll find out. And trust me when I say this... It won't be a good thing if they do." With that said, she got to her feet and passed a hand through her hair again, a distant look in her eyes as she studied the horizon.

"Why the hell would I choose to forget anything? It's hell."

"Why indeed. Look, You forgot what you wanted to, but that doesn't change who you are. You kept what was deemed worthy to keep, the rest... Locked away, directed out of sight so no one would ever know, not even you. You..." Her double looked back at her, the pain palpable in her eyes as she took in Niki's confused expression. "Will always be you, even if you remember. What you know, is what you are, who you are is what you forgot. You may not remember what helped you turn into the person you are today, but you are still the person those forgotten memories shaped."

Niki chewed on her lower lip thoughtfully, her eyes refusing to move away from the other woman's form as she turned away once again, something was bothering her, it was obvious. And if it was bothering her, then it was something that should bother herself. "What is it that you're so sad about?"

"You'll find that out eventually, it's best if you do it on your own. Now is not the time however, they're worried about you."

"Huh?" Blinking at the change in conversation, she stared up at the woman standing above her in loss. "Who's worried about me?"

"Those people, you gotta wake up or you'll end up being slapped awake, and I'm sure you wouldn't like that." A sly grin spread over her double's face just before a hand flashed out and pushed her head back roughly, forcing her down to the ground roughly.

* * *

 ** _(All translations can be found at the bottom of the chapter, each in order they appeared_**.)

Jerking upright, Niki sucked in a gulp of air and looked around frantically, her eyes meeting several pairs before she settled down as the realization struck her it was only the people she traveled with. "Ah, es war nur ein Traum.*"

Unaware of her sudden shift in language, she stretched her arms over her head, completely missing the confused and slightly worried glances passed between those gathered around her makeshift bed.

"You were tossing around and mumbling in your sleep." Miroku finally ventured cautiously, his eyes locked onto Niki's expression as she turned around to face him with a small frown on her face.

"Ich sagte, es war nur ein Traum." She grumbled under her breath and started to get to her feet only to be stopped by a heavy hand settling onto her shoulder. Following the appendage up to it's owner, she scowled at Touga with one eyebrow raised in question. "Was?"

"Are you... Alright, Niki?" Kagome's hesitant question made her turn and stare at the miko in rising confusion. "Was? Natürlich bin ich. Warum sollte ich nicht sein?" Seeing Kagome start chewing on her lower lip nervously, Niki swiveled her head around to study the others gathered around her to see varying states of worry and confusion written on their faces. "Was zum Teufel ist dein Problem?"

"Niki... You're not speaking Japanese..." Kagome's statement finally brought it all home, making Niki clap a hand over her mouth and an embarrassed blush to spread over her cheeks. Turning her wide eyes down to her lap, she thought over everything she said and slumped further down into herself. _'Damn, well this was unexpected. Who would have thought I knew German?'_

Squaring her shoulders, she turned back to Kagome with a steely glint in her eyes, determined to tell her just what she was speaking when she opened her mouth to say the word 'German' only to have it come out as : "Deutsch."

An eyebrow rose slightly only to have it sink down in confusion once more, making Niki sink down again and sigh to herself. _'This is going to be harder than I thought...'_

* * *

Hours later and a frustrated search through Kagome's large bag turned up the one thing she knew would help, not what she wanted, but it would do. However, all this time she had no clue she had been speaking Japanese, so this would be a bit odd to the rest of them.

Opening the notebook, Niki clicked the pen open and began writing, immensely grateful for the small favor she wrote in English at least. A few minutes later she shoved the notebook at Kagome with a frown on her face. Taking it from her, Kagome repressed a small smile as she glanced down at the words written there and raised an eyebrow in surprise. "English?"

A shoulder lifted and fell in a half-shrug at her question, earning a small laugh from the miko as she slowly translated what Niki had written with a small furrow of her eyebrows. "Oh, German. I thought it sounded familiar..." She murmured to herself, earning a few curious looks from her friends as she continued reading.

"She not only speaks Japanese, but this Gerr-main and Een-grish?" Touga stumbled over the unfamiliar words as he flashed a look over at the now silent Niki, more curious about her now than ever after learning this new bit of information.

"Yes, she doesn't even know why though." Looking up, she tapped the paper in her hands idly with her thumb. "She didn't even know she was speaking German until we told her she wasn't speaking Japanese. And even that surprised her."

"What do you mean that surprised her?" Sango asked idly, leaning over Kagome's shoulder to look at the unfamiliar lettering on the page, trying to make sense of what they were saying.

"Well... I don't know." Kagome furrowed her eyebrows again and looked down at the paper once more, reading over what she already read in an effort to try and make sense of the situation.

"Ich habe es auch nicht. Ich glaube, ich hatte erwartet, um in eine andere Sprache sprechen. Ich weiß nur, ich fühlte mich überrascht, als Sie erwähnt war ich nicht sprechen Japanisch, und es war nicht, weil ich eine andere Sprache zu sprechen, war es, weil Sie die japanische. Es ist wirklich schwer, jetzt erklären ... " Niki trailed off with a low grumble and got to her feet, thankful Touga didn't insist on stopping her now as she wandered over to the fire and poked at it with a stick, obvious irritation swirling around her person.

"For now, we'll have to rely on this means of communication." Touga finally spoke up, a single claw tapping on the notebook still held in Kagome's hands. "As none of us understand this Gerr-main she is speaking right now." He cast a look over at her huddled form with a curious glint in his eyes before looking back down at Kagome as she nodded slowly, her gaze also settled on Niki with a sad look on her face.

"We have wasted enough time here, pack your things, Miko. We are heading out." At that statement the others all got to their feet and began packing up the camp quietly, each of them stuck in their own thoughts as they tried to make sense of the confusion woman they now had with them, and unable to even find one one clue as to who she is no matter how hard they thought about it.

* * *

 **ah, es war nur ein Traum** \- Ah, it was only a dream

 **Ich sagte, es war nur ein Traum** \- I said it was just a dream

 **Was** \- What

 **Was? Natürlich bin ich. Warum sollte ich nicht sein?** \- What, of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?

 **Was zum Teufel ist dein Problem?** \- What the hell is your problem?

 **Ich habe es auch nicht. Ich glaube, ich hatte erwartet, um in eine andere Sprache sprechen. Ich weiß nur, ich fühlte mich überrascht, als Sie erwähnt war ich nicht sprechen Japanisch, und es war nicht, weil ich eine andere Sprache zu sprechen, war es, weil Sie die japanische. Es ist wirklich schwer, jetzt erklären ...** \- I didn't know either. I guess I was expecting to speak in a different language. All I know is I felt surprised when you mentioned I wasn't speaking Japanese, and it wasn't because I was speaking a different language, it was because you said Japanese. It's really hard to explain right now...

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	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 **Woo! Two chapters in two days, I'm on a roll here folks. Gotta think that's something worth at least a couple of reviews? Huh? Maybe? Because I distinctly remember my first story getting tons per chapter, now I barely even get one a chapter, kinda sad if you ask me.**

 **I do need them to keep the insperation to keep going, it makes me want to keep writing.**

 **Anyway not much to say here so Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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None of them wanting to waste anymore time with staying in one place, they moved on despite Niki's current handicap. Choosing to keep the confusion down to a minimum, she stayed silent, simply trailing along with the others in the group as they steadily made their way towards the mountain in the distance. It had already been two days and they only had seven to get there, leaving them with a very small amount of time to get there before the witch up and vanished once more.

Casting a glance upwards, Niki spotted the red plume of a woodpecker and smiled to herself, watching as it drilled it's way into the trunk of the tree in it's search for food. With a quick glance towards the pack not too far ahead of her, she pursed her lips and whistled softly to the bird, trying to imitate the small pipes and whistles it made to it's companions in nearby trees.

Watching it intently, she studied the bird as it cocked it's head to the side and listened to her whistle before replying back. So intent on the rudimentary conversation she was having with the woodpecker, she didn't notice Touga stop and drop back to where she was, silently watching her as she conversed with the bird with mild interest.

Just as she pursed her lips to reply once again, he cleared his throat, earning a startled look from her as she came to realize he was standing beside her. "We are falling behind." He motioned with his head towards the distant group earning a slight flush to her cheeks and a small nod as she started walking again. Slowing his usual stride, Touga walked beside her, his gaze settled on the group ahead of them.

"Sie wissen, dass Sie nicht haben, um neben mir zu gehen." Niki finally murmured, ignoring the confused look she got from him as they walked along. He grunted lightly under his breath and turned his attention back to the group ahead. He didn't know what she was trying to say precisely, but the expression on her face told him it had something to do with him being beside her.

Ignoring her frustrated glance, he strode along, keeping pace with her while his gaze stayed on the group ahead, his senses spread out around them to keep an eye, or ear, out for any trouble. A soft whistle from above made Niki stop, making Touga turn to look at her in question as she frowned slightly, her eyes settled on the bird in the branches above in concentration.

"What-" He began to ask, only to be cut off by a wave of her hand as she turned to listen to another bird letting out a similar whistle. After a few moments, she turned to Touga once more, one of her hands reaching up to point at her ear, the other gesturing around them in a silent question if he heard what she did. With a small frown, he strained his ears, trying to hear whatever it was that bothered her and came up with... Nothing, it was silent around them besides their breathing and the distant conversation from the group ahead of them.

"I do not hear anything." He finally said, watching as she let out a frustrated huff and pointed at the now-silent bird above them then back around before pointing at her ears once more. A small sigh slipped from between his lips as he turned his attention back to the sounds, or lack thereof, around them once more, his ears twitching slightly as he tried to figure out what it was that bothered her so much before it struck him, it was silent. Just moments ago, the woods were alive with sounds, the birds, animals and insects. Now... Nothing at all.

At the widening of his eyes, Niki knew he finally figured out what she was saying and tapped her nose with a quick smile as she turned to face the group ahead of them, noticing that they finally saw neither of them were with the pack and had stopped to look back at them with vague questions drifting towards them.

"Come, before they begin to question our companionship." Touga quickly turned away from her and moved to rejoin the pack, failing to see the upset expression that spread across her face at his words. _'Well that didn't exactly feel good to my self-esteem.'_ Ducking her head down, she shuffled her feet to catch up with him, her ears straining slightly to listen to the sounds around them, trying to pick up on exactly what it was that made the creatures pause and hide. It couldn't have been them, the sounds were active while they all had been walking through the woods, so it must have been something else.

Brushing off the uneasy feeling growing inside her, Niki picked up the pace to catch up with the others, trying to shake the small pained shock to her chest when she fell into step with the others.

* * *

It wasn't long before the rest of the pack began to grow uneasy themselves, each of them suddenly picking up on the lack of sound surrounding them as they traveled deeper into the woods. It wasn't hard considering everything was dead silent and seemed to get even worse with each passing second. Shivering to herself, Kagome rubbed her arms lightly with a quick glance around at the closing trees, the branches above entwining so much the sun barely filtered through. Even with the fall approaching, the leaves that were left over still covered much of the light that tried to come through.

"Inuyasha?" Miroku finally spoke up, nearly making the others jump when they were startled by the sudden noise in the silence. "Yeah, I feel it too." The hanyou murmured, his eyes flicking back and forth as he tried make sense of the situation suddenly surrounding them. "Isn't there a way out of these trees so we can go around?" Sango murmured, unwilling to raise her voice any higher in the oppressive silence.

"The only way out is the way we came, and that would take too much time to do it." Inuyasha replied in the same quiet tone, his whole body tensed up when Kagome's shoe caught the edge of a fallen branch and kicked it lightly, making a loud cracking noise split the air.

"Time is of the essence, for now we will stay aware. If need be we will double back." Touga finally said, earning a reproachful look from his oldest son. "Simply be on guard for the time being." The others nodded silently as they continued on, fully aware of the trees as they grew thicker each step they took, making it harder and harder to walk in a group and forcing them into a straight line instead. Sesshomaru in the front followed by Inuyasha, Miroku and Sango, Kagome and Niki sandwiched between them and Touga as they fell into line. Almost unconscious of the order they chose while they moved along.

Turning to look around the area, Touga studied the shadows closing in on them before turning his gaze back to the woman in front of him, idly watching as she shifted her shoulders uncomfortably and cast a quick glance around before picking the pace up once more. As he watched her, he noticed something he never did before, it amused him to no end for some unexplained reason as he watched her ears shift with each loud noise the group made. _'It's almost as if she held the ears of a demon.'_ He thought with a inward chuckle.

A loud snap from the trees to their right made the ear on that side jerk back as she turned to look in that direction, eyes wide as she stared into the shadows. Drawing his attention away from her with more force than there should have been, Touga turned to stare into the shadows as well, the rest of the pack stopped in their steps to share quick glances.

"Who goes there?" Touga finally spoke out, his own ears shifting at the faint sounds of rustling in the bushes. Niki jerked slightly at his loud voice, a wince flashing across her face at the unaccustomed volume before she rubbed at the ear facing him and turned back to the trees as another rustle sounded closer. Narrowing his eyes, Touga tried to sense out what it was only to come up blank, no scent, no aura... No power of any kind drifted from whatever this thing was, raising his hackles slightly.

A small intake of air from the woman beside him made Touga turn away once more only to see her take a couple of steps closer to the trees, a small look of concentration on her face as she knelt down, steadily ignoring the hushed questions and demands she step back. One hand reached out slowly towards the sound as another rustle sounded, making the demons and humans all tense as it shifted the leaves of the bush in front of her.

Before Touga could reach out and grab her back, a small form darted out and wrapped itself around her wrist, earning a small laugh from the woman as she straightened up and turned around to show them what it was.

"A... Snake?" Shippo finally spoke up, his green eyes wide with curiosity as he leaned forward on Kagome's shoulder to get a better look at the narrow creature steadily wrapping itself around her arm and heading upwards.

"Be careful of that thing, it could be poisonous!" Sango blurted out, shying back from the snake as it turned it's head towards her, tongue flicking out to taste the air in an almost curious fashion. "No... See the colors? Red and yellow." Niki said softly, her shift in language easily slipping past her notice as she studied the snake settling itself onto her upper arm. "Red and yellow, he's a fine fellow. Red and black, better step back. He's not dangerous, in fact, they're gentle in comparison to most other snakes. I think he was searching for something to eat."

"How do you know this?" Touga asked, brushing aside the surprise from her speaking Japanese once more in favor of his curiosity for the knowledge she said instead. "I... I have no idea, but it sounds right. Even if he bit me, I wouldn't die. Though I doubt he would, he's cold right now..." She trailed off, one finger reaching up to pet the snakes head lightly as it turned to look up at her. "Wonder why he's all the way out here, it's too dark for him to be comfortable..."

"Strange." Miroku agreed as he leaned closer to inspect the now comfortable snake as it settled itself around her shoulders loosely, his head tucked up against the side of her neck to absorb as much heat as possible from Niki as she continued gently petting it.

"What I don't get is why I didn't smell it." Inuyasha grunted, his arms folding over his chest as he glared at the creature now wound around the woman in distaste. "It's probably dangerous, get rid of it before it does something."

"No, snakes don't carry their own body heat, you need heat to really have a scent. Even if your noses are stronger than most demons, it's not surprising you didn't pick up on it, he's probably been stuck in these shadows for a while, so his body is close to hibernation..." Niki lifted one shoulder up in a shrug, chuckling lightly as the snake let out a slight hiss of irritation at the unwelcome movement. "Once he warms up, you'll probably smell him, just let him be for now."

"And what if this snake were to strangle you?" Touga asked sharply, eyes narrowed on the creature threateningly as it shifted to a comfortable spot around her shoulders once more and settled down again.

"Then I'll pull him off. I doubt he'd try, I'm much bigger than he is, and there's no point in trying to kill something he isn't going to eat unless it threatens him." Niki snapped back at him, becoming defensive of her fast-growing friend as she shot a quick glare at the tall Inu beside her. "I told you, they're gentle, mild-mannered and only hunt rats or other animals around that size. I highly doubt he's hungry enough to try and eat me, so you can calm your britches down, Toboggan." With a small sniff, she turned away from him and pushed her way past the others as she began walking once more, ignoring the looks she gained from them in the process.

* * *

"Why is he still wrapped around you?" Shippo's voice piped up from beside Niki as she settled down next to the campfire, the snake still settled around her neck and shoulders. "He's still cold, I don't exactly have a lot of body heat myself it seems, so he's taking all he can get right now..." She glanced down at the snake as it lifted it's head to stare at the fox kit, tongue flicking out a few times before he deemed Shippo safe and laid back down, eyes glimmering slightly from the flickering flames in front of them.

"Can... Can I touch him?" His hesitant question earned a small smile from Niki as she nodded slightly, making Shippo grin up at her and get to his feet so he could reach better. "Just be gentle and don't pet near his head, he might still be wary with how much animosity those three are emitting." With a slight nod over to the three demons sitting across the fire from them, she cast a sharp look at them before turning her attention back to the kit as he climbed up onto her lap slowly, eyes wide in childlike wonder as he slowly petted the snake with a single finger. "Wow, he feels smooth."

"His scales are made so he can slip through small spaces without getting caught on anything." Niki explained, ignoring the look Touga sent her way as she educated Shippo. "it's so he can hide better since he doesn't have anything to protect himself with besides his fangs. Other snakes have poison, some have scary things they do, like a warning rattle on the end of their tails or a big hood to spread out and warn off predators. All he has is misdirection, his colors match that of a poisonous snake, so most animals would keep away from him just because of that."

"You know a lot about snakes." Touga finally spoke up, making her shoot a sharp look over at him in question. "I guess so, I mean they're not all that scary unless you make them scared, then they're dangerous..." Reaching up, she gently unwound the snake from around her shoulders and let it curl up in her hands as they cupped around it's body, a small, playful smile hovering around her lips as it's head peeked out from between her fingers, tongue flicking lightly.

"Snakes make great cuddles when it's cold out, they're cold-blooded, meaning they can't make their own body heat themselves like we can, they have to absorb it from other warm things, the sun, warm rocks or even body heat like ours." She continued her explanation as she played with the snake idly, letting it slither between her fingers and around her wrists while Shippo watched in awe. "As long as you keep a calm aura and never threaten a snake, they'll stay calm like this and never try to hurt you."

"Wow..." Shippo's sentiment was echoed by Kagome as she leaned over to study the body sliding between Niki's hands and around her arms, her brown eyes shining slightly as she watched. "You know a lot about them."

"Like I said, I can't tell you why I do, but I just do. I can only guess I liked them enough before loosing my memories that it made an impression." Niki shrugged lightly as she let it curl back up her arm and settle around her shoulders once more. "I just don't find them all that threatening, like most animals, they won't attack unless they feel threatened. Bigger ones would attack if they're hungry enough, but something this size? No, he'd only do something if he felt like someone or something wanted to hurt him that's all."

"I guess you're right." Kagome reached up hesitantly, a questioning look shooting at Niki before she nodded and let the Miko slowly run her own finger down the snake's body then pulled away quickly. "It feels cool."

"Probably why he's wrapped around me like this again, the neck and head put out the most heat on a body, so it's not all that surprising he chose this spot. If I thought he could stay up there, I'd let him curl up on my head but I don't think he'd appreciate being tossed off if I moved just the slightest." Chuckling lightly, she hid a yawn behind one of her hands before laying down on her makeshift bed, twitching with a small laugh as the snake shifted from around her neck to settle on her chest instead, choosing not to be squished under her as she lay there.

"Sorry, should have moved you, buddy." She murmured sleepily, one hand reaching up to pet it's head lightly before she closed her eyes and relaxed against the ground, completely oblivious to the stares she was getting as she fell asleep easily, absolutely comfortable with the snake curled up on her.

"What a strange woman." Sesshomaru murmured, earning a few nods and murmured 'yes's' in reply as they watched her shift slightly in her sleep, the snake moving along with her until she settled down once more. _'Strange doesn't even begin to explain her.'_ Sonya's voice drifted across his mind, making him glance down at the stone he held with a curious look. _'Don't even ask, let's just say this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her.'_ Sonya reached out and caressed his aura with her energy lightly before falling silent once more, the glowing stone going dormant again and leaving her mate with more questions than answers.

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 **Sie wissen, dass Sie nicht haben, um neben mir zu gehen**.- You don't have to walk beside me.

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	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 **Welp yet another chapter, it's a bit short but I decided to stop it where I did before I ended up going too far. I gotta leave you lot in some sort of suspense now and again or you'd get bored with me.**

 **To be honest, the whole Kohaku thing... I forgot about him, seriously I did until I was in the middle of writing this and thought 'wait, wasn't Kohaku supposed to return with Miroku before they left?' So... yeah, a little explanation for that in here, offhand anyway.**

 **I think that's it for now, not much to go on, but at least it's another chapter and I'm not making you all wait a week or so for the next one. Hope you guys are still reading this after all the pauses I made you endure.**

 **Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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"How long do you plan on keeping that thing around?" Inuyasha's grumpy voice pierced the twilight gloom early the next day as they began walking once again. The forest was still oppressive around them, keeping each member of the pack on high alert, but not so much to keep him distracted from Niki's new pet.

"As long as he wants to stick around." Niki retorted, her attention still on the snake curled around her wrist as she fed it small bits of leftover food from their breakfast. "Besides, it's too cold here to let him just wander off on his own, he'd end up going into hibernation and who knows how long these woods will be like this." She added as an afterthought after dusting her fingers off on the cloth of her hakimas and pocketing the small bag of scraps she saved for the snake.

"Keh, it's useless and all it's doing is eating our food." Inuyasha snorted, his arms folding over his chest as he looked away, still marching along ahead of the pack, easily parting the brush that began to overrun the path they were travelling on. "It's eating scraps we would have just tossed out, so stop your whining." Niki retorted hotly, her metaphorical hackles raising at his tone.

"Inuyasha leave her be, it's not doing anything to hurt any of us so just let it go." Sango reprimanded the hanyou, earning a sniff from him before he fell silent, leaving the rest of the group to wander over their own thoughts.

Keeping pace at the back of the pack, Touga simply observed the small argument between his youngest and the woman curiously. She had deemed the snake worth protecting for something beyond his reason. Pulling his eyes away once again, he swept his gaze around the closing forest around them once again, keeping tabs on whatever it was that was stalking them, had been throughout the night and this morning. It's aura shifted just barely beyond his perception, not allowing him to get a clear lock on whatever it was.

Biting back an aggravated growl, he flared his own aura, a feral smirk flashing across his face when the energy that followed them skittered away from the rush of power that washed through the woods. He wasn't stupid, he knew it would be back, but for now it allowed his irritation drop a few levels knowing it was keeping a larger distance between them at the moment, less chances to be attacked quickly.

A small sigh sounded in front of Touga, making him glance towards Niki as she rolled her shoulders lightly under the straps of the backpack she offered to carry for Kagome so the Miko could keep her hands free should she need to use her powers at a moment's notice. The rest of the group each carried their own packs, smaller in size, but carrying food and other items needed for the trip.

"Is it heavy?" Touga's voice rumbled from behind Niki, making her jump slightly in surprise and turn to look over her shoulder at him with a small, confused frown pulling at her lips. "What? No, it's fine, my shoulders are just stiff from sleeping on the ground all night, that's all." With a small shrug, she turned back to face forward, ignoring the raised eyebrow the Inu sent her way. "I may just be human without any training, but I'm stronger than I look, so don't worry about me and worry about whatever that thing is that's been following us."

The other eyebrow rose to meet the other, disappearing into his bangs as Touga assessed the woman in front of him yet another time since they met. She never failed to take him by surprise with her offhand comments and various bits of knowledge she would say from time to time. _'So, she is aware. On some level she can sense something other than us in the trees and acknowledged it as a threat. Curious.'_

* * *

Closing her eyes, Niki rubbed the space between them, trying to ease the small throb of pressure there caused from stress over the past couple of days. _'This is insane. I have no idea who these people are but here I am, wandering around the open country with them like it's normal. What the hell is wrong with me?'_ With a huff, she opened them again and straightened the straps on the giant, yellow monstrosity Kagome called a backpack once again, trudging along behind the miko in determination.

 _'If they say they can help me that's all fine and good, but where is that kid Sango said could help more than they could? I don't think I ever saw him when Miroku showed back up...'_ With that thought, she picked up her head and stared at Sango's back, suddenly confused about the whole situation. "Hey, Sango. Where's your brother at?"

"Huh?" The slayer looked back at Niki in confusion before understanding dawned in her eyes. "Oh! Miroku said he was busy so we're going to have to meet him at a later time." She explained with a small laugh, a hand reaching up to brush over her hair lightly in a nervous gesture, making Niki raise an eyebrow at the action. "Right..."

"Feh, we're too busy at the moment to bother with it." Inuyasha snorted from the front, earning three glares for his efforts. "Well excuse me for wanting to remember who I am." Niki snapped, already fed up with his attitude today, it was too early for this shit not to mention she wasn't exactly a morning person to begin with and without a proper view of the sun through the thick trees overhead, they had to guess and go by what the demons said was sunrise. Sunrise! It was too damn early for this!

"Getting Sonya back into her body is important right now, your memories can wait." He snapped back, ignoring the rising ire beginning to come from the newest member of their group (albit temporary) that set the others on edge. "Inuyasha, perhaps now is not the time to be having this discussion." Miroku cautioned his rash friend only to be brushed off as he stopped and turned to face the woman with a scowl planted firmly in place.

"Listen here, human. Sonya is more important than your memories. You can get those back anytime, she can't. Now stop complaining and get moving!" He nearly growled at her, failing to notice the dangerous glint in his father's eyes at what he said.

Gritting her teeth, Niki stepped past the other members and stood toe-to-toe with Inuyasha, her head tipped back to glare up at his expression, hands planted firmly on her hips. "Let me tell you something, dog ear, I completely understand the reason behind us having to travel so quickly. Don't get me wrong, but don't you _dare_ tell me I'm less important than someone else." She snarled at him, blue eyes glinting dangerously in the faint light. "My memories are just as important as yours, despite what you think. Don't go taking your frustration out on me because I'm not someone you know, dumbass!" With that last phrase, she jabbed him in the chest violently before spinning around on her heels and stalking back to her place in line, ignoring the spluttering of the hanyou from behind her. "Let's get going before it gets too late."

Sharing a couple glances with each other, Sango, Miroku and Kagome all nodded before turning around to continue walking once more, Miroku with his arm around Inuyasha's shoulder, forcing him to walk along until he pulled away and started walking on his own again, silently fuming at the tongue-lashing that woman had given him.

He was already uncomfortable in her presence, but with her that close to him, it was nearly impossible to ignore the vaguely familiar scent that wafted across his nose. 'Mother...' Casting a quick glance at her, he watched Niki tug her hair back into a short ponytail with a spare tie Kagome loaned her. Lifting his gaze a little higher, he caught sight of his father staring at her... Again. Now that he thought about it, his sire had a habit of watching her in silence ever since they began travelling. He couldn't explain it exactly, but it irritated him, rubbed his skin the wrong way whenever he saw his father's eyes locked onto her figure.

Turning back to face the front, he caught sight of Sesshomaru turning his head at the same time, the swish of his silver hair swinging from side to side betraying his actions. _'So he noticed too...'_ Shaking his head lightly, Inuyasha bit back a growl, focusing on the area around them once again, ears swiveling on top of his head to catch each sound around them, from the pack's breathing and heartbeats to the faint sounds of insects skittering in the underbrush around them.

He would worry about it later, for now they needed to get out of this forest before it was too late.

* * *

"Hey, is that sunlight ahead?" Niki's voice broke through the silence, making everyone look ahead of the path, each of them blinking slightly at the faint glow of light ahead of them. "It looks like it..." Sango murmured, her eyes squinting slightly to try and see it better. It was hard to miss with how dark the area around them, it was like a beacon.

"At least we're almost out of here." Niki muttered under her breath, followed by silent nods of agreement from the others, each of them picking up the pace to get out from under the trees once more and enjoy the sunlight properly rather than rare patches of light somehow reaching through the trees. Hitching the pack higher on her sore shoulders, Niki nearly tripped in her attempt to catch up with Kagome who was nearly jogging ahead of her. A root almost seeming like it wrapped around her ankle for a moment before letting go, making her stumble.

A clawed hand snapped out and wrapped around her upper arm before she could fully fall, making Niki send a grateful smile over at Touga as she straightened up again and moved to catch up with the rest of the group, just as eager to get out in the sunlight as the rest of them.

The moment Sesshomaru and Inuyasha stepped out into the shining light at the edge of the path, all hell broke loose.

A loud shriek blasted just from behind, making Touga whirl around just in time to see a large figure emerge on the path just a few feet away. The vague image of a long torso, a pair of arms and red hair was all he could see before Niki let out a startled gasp.

Turning enough to see behind him, Touga saw her standing there, something wrapped around her waist for a split second in time then was jerked into the darkness of the trees followed by a loud cry of alarm.

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	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

 **So... Long time no see, yeah?**

 **Not gonna try and explain my absence other than I've been going through some depression that's all. I did manage to make this chapter longer than usual, so there's my apology if you'll take it.**

 **As for the story plot, it's coming along slowly. It took me two days to finally come up with this chapter properly without it leaving anything off or going off the trail and leaving everyone confused as hell, trust me it took me a while.**

 **Actually you all ought to thank a friend of mine for getting me out of this funk to be honest. I managed to talk to her yesterday and started feeling better, when I explained my block with this chapter, just talking it out with her helped and I was able to finish it up properly.**

 **Still not 100% yet, but I'm getting there, I'm not making any promises as to when the next chapter is gonna be posted because to be absolutely honest, I have no clue. It could be a hour from now, later in the day or even a week or so from now. I don't know and it kills me to tell you all that. I'm working on it though and just be assured I'm not gonna drop this story, it's too much fun to write and I have all of you reading it for me to want to quit. So just know I'm not dropping it, just takes a little longer for me to post than it did the first two stories.**

 **Anyway, that's pretty much it for now, i'll leave you to it and PLEASE review and let me know what you think. I need a little perking up and some ideas/love for this chapter could help me a lot more than you could think it would.**

 **Onward**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

Squirming around in whatever it was that had her's grip, Niki tried to see behind her as she was drug through the trees and bushes, scratches littering her exposed skin as the branches whipped out at her. "Ow! Damn it, stop!" She shouted finally, fed up with the situation entirely and slapped the thing wrapped around her middle, surprised when it did indeed come to a sudden stop.

"Oh... Well that's better." She muttered, a hand reaching up to brush her hair from her face and looking around warily. "Care to explain why I've been drug through the trees like a rag doll?"

"I Ssshould be asssking you the quessstionsss." A voice literally hissed from behind, sending a shudder up Niki's spine and making her turn slowly to look over her shoulder at the shadows there. "Wh-who are you?"

"I am the protector of thessse treessss. The animalsss that live within are under my guardiansssship." A dark figure slowly approached from the shadows, it's body longer than usual. Following with her eyes, she traced it's form slowly until it wrapped around her middle. "Tell me, child. Why isss one of my children wrapped around you?"

"Huh..?" Niki blinked at the guardian before sudden understanding sparked in her eyes. Reaching up, she gently touched the snake still wrapped around her neck with a small, shy smile. "I was giving him some warmth that's all. He was cold."

"Cold..?" The guardian shifted closer and leaned into the faint light filtering through the trees, letting her get a better view of him. Long red hair, silver eyes and very pale green skin met Niki's curious gaze.

"Well yeah... It's dark and cold in here... He can't exactly keep warm on his own, now can he?" Niki's gaze dropped down to the striped snake settled comfortably around her neck and shoulders. "Not to mention he was probably scared with all the noise we were making. And I'm not about to toss him off to the side just because he was scared and cold."

Hearing this, the guardian took a closer look at the girl in his hold, watching as she gently ran her finger over the snake's head gently with a small smile. "Why would you make it so dark here anyway? You know none of the snakes here can survive it being so cold." She added, a sudden spark of irritation appearing in her blue eyes as she shot a look up at the guardian before her.

"I have not made the treesss like thisss. The darknesss that sssroundsss my domain wasss not of my doing." Loosening his hold on her, the guardian gently set Niki on her feet before backing up slightly and wrapping his lower half around in a coil. "I have reassson to believe it isss you and your friendssss faultsss."

"Our fault? How is it our fault, much less mine? Do I look like someone that can do anything?" Holding our her arms, Niki raised an eyebrow as he took in her form before looking away again, one hand pushing his hair back behind a shoulder. "I sssee. You are indeed human. However the demonsss you travel with..."

"We're all pretty busy taking care of something else. All we want to do is get to the mountain." She gestured in the general direction they were travelling in and let her hand drop back to her side with a small shrug of her shoulders, making the snake curled up there shift slightly, drawing the guardian's eyes back to her.

"We don't exactly have time to be fiddling with someone's environment, or would we want to, there's no real point to it in my book and not to mention the three demons with us that are strong enough to do this are too wrapped up in their own problems to even think about doing it." She added as an afterthought, her eyes shifting to look over her shoulder while she spoke.

"I sssee. And the sssnake you have captured..?" Looking back over at him, Niki flashed a brilliant smile, making the guardian blink in surprise. "I didn't capture him, if anything, he captured me. I just figured I'd let him share my warmth as long as he wanted to, no harm no foul."

Falling silent, the both of them simply stared at each other before the guardian let out a low laugh, his lips curling upward in a small smile before sliding closer to where she stood, his form a good three feet taller than her, forcing Niki to crane her neck just to keep eye contact. "Very well." He smiled and reached out slowly to place a hand on the top of her head gently. "You are kind, child. And protective of my children yourssself." A small flicker of something shone in his eyes before he came to a decision and leaned forward, his lips brushing lightly against her forehead, leaving behind a pulse of heat.

"Wh-"

"You now carry my protection, child. Sssshould you ever need help, sssimply have thisss ssssnake call for me, and I will come." He murmured, his fingers gently scratching her scalp fondly before he let go, a small smile hovering on his lips. "You may passs through my foressst peacefully. Go with my grace." With that said, he shifted back into the shadows once again just moments before Touga burst through the trees, eyes faintly haloed with red as he glared around the clearing.

"Um... What are you doing?" Niki asked, one eyebrow raised slightly as he turned to face her, his expression flashing between rage and surprise before settling on idle confusion. "Where is it?" He demanded finally, the red in his eyes flaring slightly as he walked forward and settled his hands heavily on her shoulders, leaning forward to study her close.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. And he's gone." Niki rolled her eyes and brushed his hands from her shoulders before running her own hand through her hair, lifting her bangs up slightly.

A sudden grip on her wrist made her pause and look up at Touga as he held her still, his eyes zeroed in on her forehead, leaning closer to inspect the mark he saw sitting there better. "What are you doing?" She leaned back awkwardly, trying to get away from him as he tried to hold her still. "This mark..."

"Oh, a mark? Where?" Reaching up with her other hand, Niki poked at her forehead, a small frown crossing her features as she thought what might have given her a mark there. "I did hit a few branches on the way here, so I'm not all that surprised there is one on my forehead..."

"This is no mark made from a branch." Touga murmured, brushing aide her hand so he could trace the symbol there with a claw, almost tickling the skin with his actions. "It is a loop on it's side..."

"A... Loop?" Raising her eyebrow, Niki looked up at him in utter confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?"

A rustle in the brush behind him made both turn to the shadows in time to see Kagome struggle her way through the branches. After straightening her clothes with a small grumble, she looked up and flashed a wide smile at the two standing there. "Hey! I found them!" Calling over her shoulder at the others, she walked over. "What happened to you?"

"Don't ask, it's a long story." Niki muttered, tugging her wrist out of Touga's grip and taking a step or two away from him. "What is that on your forehead?"

Groaning under her breath, Niki clapped a hand over the supposed mark. "Not you too. This one was obsessed with it just before you showed up." She growled at Touga when Kagome stepped over to take a closer look herself. "It looks like an infinity symbol."

"Infinity? Oh! The loop, I get it now." A small laugh fell from her lips as Niki reached up to touch the spot again. "I guess it was that guardian. He kissed me on the forehead and said I would have his protection."

"Protection? Why?" Kagome frowned, her eyes shifting away from Niki and to the dark trees around them curiously. "I guess it's because I took this little guy in, he thought we were the reason the forest was so dark at first, once I talked to him though he found out it was something else. I can only guess what he's doing now." Niki shrugged again, her hands lifting up in a 'no idea' gesture.

"Well... As long as you're alright. I guess we should get going." Kagome murmured, trying to make sense of what Niki said only to come up blank. Niki clapped her on the shoulder before pushing past her and Touga, heading back through the trees easily, idly noting they seemed to pull away from her as she walked past.

* * *

Niki's shoulders tensed again as the feeling of being stared at washed over her once more while she helped Kagome set up the camp for that night. One more day and they'd be at the base of the mountain, then Miyoga could lead them to where the witch was staying, as it was they were ahead of schedule, Touga didn't think they would reach the mountain for another day or two. They were at least three days away from the deadline, even with all the issues they ran into. What with Kagome and Inuyasha being later than they expected, then the forest and her own unexpected capture of some sort.

Heaving a mental sigh, she shot a sharp look over at Touga, who was currently staring at her again. "What?" She snapped irritably, her eyebrows drawing downwards and together as he simply stared without answering. "Whatever, if you're going to stare at someone, don't expect to be treated politely." Turning away, she finished stacking the wood and tinder so Kagome could light it easily.

A soft huff from behind made her bite back a snicker. Vaguely she understood a little of the reason for his staring. Part of it being his curiosity and confusion as to just why the forest Guardian had chosen her for his protective mark, hell, she was confused about that too, but not complaining. It was pretty nice to have plants move out of her way rather than pushing them aside herself. Though odd, still nice to say the least.

Sitting back on her feet, she dusted her hands off on her dirty hakima pants and sighed to herself. "Hey, Kagome, there anywhere around here that I can wash up? I need to change my clothes, they're filthy from being drug through the underbrush earlier."

The miko straightened up from where she was stirring a pot of... Whatever it was she was making and tapped a finger to her chin in thought. "Oh! I'm sure I saw a stream just a little bit away from here when I was collecting wood." Turning to flash Niki a smile, she pointed off to the south from where they were. "It's a few minutes away but it looks clean. If you wait, I'll go with you." With a nod of agreement, Niki turned away and settled for digging through one of the bags for bathing supplies, it was still warm where they were and it was a safe bet the water wouldn't be too cold at the moment, better take advantage of it while they had the chance.

After setting the pot aside to cool, she, Kagome and Sango all headed from the camp in the direction of the stream Kagome spotted earlier, hoping to find a small pool deep enough to at least sit in while they bathed. While the two longtime friends chatted, Niki trailed along behind them, deep in thought as they made their way deeper into the trees.

There were several things that bothered her, but the most prominent one being her lack of memory still. Occasionally a small thing would pop up, like her favorite scent, which was petricor and pine needles, her favorite season, winter, or even the name of her best friend, Jinx. All of it paled in comparison to everything she should know already. For instance, she could only guess her age being around twenty, she could only guess where she came from, flashes of trees all around indicated a wooded area of some sort. She couldn't even name her favorite food much less how she ended up there.

A soft sigh escaped her lips before she could stop it, prompting the two women in front to turn and look at her over their shoulders in question. When Niki didn't return their glances, they frowned slightly, easily understanding her upset nature as they dropped back to fall into step on either side of her. "Niki." Sango began softly, earning a blank look from the woman when she glanced up at the slayer.

"Your memories will return when they're ready to. My brother, when he lost his memory, it was because he didn't want to remember what had happened, it was terrible for him and he couldn't live with what he had done." Sango said gently, her mind elsewhere while she spoke. "When he could finally live with what had happened, he remembered. Perhaps something had happened to make you wish to forget. And when you are ready to face it once more, you will regain your memories."

Pulling her gaze away from Sango, Niki lifted her shoulders in a half-hearted shrug at her words. "Maybe, maybe not. I don't know now do I?" A slightly bitter edge managed to work its way into her words, urging her to quicken her step and get away from the pitying looks she continued to get from the two women with her. "Whatever happens, happens. I really have no choice in any of this, I'm only along for the ride right now. Once I remember everything, if I do, I'll just go on my way and none of you have to worry about me anymore. So please don't try to make me feel better about this. I don't really care about being pitied or treated like glass. Just because I don't have any memories doesn't mean I can't handle life." With that said she lengthened her stride and pushed her way through the brush ahead, ignoring the branches as they pulled away from her touch once more.

Once Niki was out of earshot, Kagome and Sango shared a look. "I guess she isn't exactly one to want someone to take care of her." Sango murmured quietly, her eyes moving back to stare at Niki as she slowly made her way farther ahead of them.

"I guess not, she's pretty strong-willed if you ask me. Look at everything that's happened and all she's done is take it all in stride. I think what bothers her the most is she doesn't even know who she really is. She couldn't answer any question asked about her but she can easily tell you about any of us." Kagome agreed equally as soft, her own gaze trained on their subject.

"I noticed it too. She pays close attention to everyone and everything around her, it's almost unnerving if you ask me."

"No, I think it's normal for her, she seems to do it without even realizing it."

"You may be right. For now lets just forget about the matter and focus on getting Sonya back into her body." Sango murmured, earning a quick nod from Kagome and sped up to catch Niki before she vanished from their sight.

* * *

"Ahh... What luck." A happy sigh slipped from Kagome as she slid into the warm water of the hot spring they happened to find while travelling along the stream for a suitable place to bathe.

"No kidding, I didn't expect one of these around here." Sango dipped her head back and soaked her hair then straightened back up and glanced over at where Niki sat as far away from them as possible, crouched down in the water until it reached her chin, an embarrassed expression on her face.

"What's wrong? Don't you like the hot water?" Looking over, Kagome noticed Niki's expression too and frowned slightly.

She shook her head quickly and ducked farther into the water, a faint pink tinging her cheeks. "No it's not exactly that." Niki blew a few bubbles and fell silent, her gaze drifting down to the clouded water. "Not really used to bathing with people, that's all. Earlier when you two showed up when I was bathing last time, I didn't exactly stay too long."

"You know, now that I think about it, you're right." Sango frowned in thought, her mind going back over that day in detail. "I didn't really think much of it because I figured you were done."

Another blush crossed Niki's face as she closed her eyes and ducked under the water for a moment then came back up just enough so her mouth could clear the water. "Yeah... Well... There's that." She muttered, silently yelling at herself for even agreeing to going with Kagome and Sango when she knew full well this would be her reaction.

"Well if you want, we can hurry up and leave you alone so you can bathe..." Kagome trailed off, her head tipped back to wash the soap from her hair while she spoke.

"No, no it's fine. I mean, it's perfectly normal for this to happen, right? I just have to get used to it is all. Just don't ask me to bathe with any of the guys and we should be fine." A weak laugh slipped from her as Niki started soaping her own hair when Kagome floated the bottle in her direction.

Both Kagome and Sango shared a laugh at that, silently relaxing at their newest friends return to her usual dry humor. "Agreed, though we can't promise at least one of them wouldn't come looking around, like a certain monk we all know." Sango muttered, her eyes rolling upwards at the thought of Miroku sneaking around while they bathed.

"Yeah well, I'm pretty sure there's a few rocks around here we can use as ammunition."

With another shared laugh, the three of them continued their bath, easily enjoying the silence and peace of the moment.

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	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

 **Well here's another chapter because I dunno if I will write tonight or not. Mostly because I wanted to get this part of the story over with because to be honest, everything else I have planned is after this so... Yeah, hurry things along because I'm bored with this part and there's not much else I can do.**

 **By the way, writing is just like riding a bicycle. You never forget or fail to get back into the motion once you start it up again.**

 **And just saying, glad I got a review already, thanks for that. :)**

 **Anyway that's it.**

 **Onward**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

"Well... That's a mountain alright." Niki voiced just what the other humans were thinking at the moment as they stared up at the sheer wall in front of them. Planting her hands on her hips, she tipped her head to the side and studied the rock with a frown. Not one foothold or bit of rock jutted out to climb on. The only ones there able to get up the cliff would be the demons. Kirara could easily carry them up if it was really important, but it would take too much time, she could only fit three on her back, and even that was heavy for her.

They'd have to wait at the bottom just for her to get back, and judging from how high it was the trips would take ten or so minutes at a time, at least. "So... How is this going to work?"

Turning to face the others, Niki studied them as they each stared up at the cliff themselves. "Well, Kirara could carry a couple of us up there. I'm sure Touga and his sons can get up fairly easily themselves..." Miroku trailed off, leaving the one important bit out. How was Niki going to get up there? There was no question Inuyasha could carry Kagome on his back while he climbed, Kirara could carry both himself and Sango, Shippo didn't even count with how light he was.

Sesshomaru was definitely off the list to help considering he was so close to getting his mate back, that was all he wanted at the moment.

Leaving only one other person to ask... Touga. As each of them reached the conclusion on their own, they turned to face the Inu male in turn.

Seeing exactly where their thoughts were going with this, Niki quickly cut in, hoping to stop that train before it derailed and ended up in a gruesome massacre. "I'll just stay down here until you're all done, yeah?" A weak laugh accompanied her suggestion, both hands raised up in front of her when Kagome turned a pair of sparkling eyes in her direction. She knew that look, no idea where it was from, but she knew it and she didn't like it one bit.

"Niki, we're not leaving you alone down here, the only other option is to wait for Kirara and that would take too long." Sango tried to reason with her, a small spark of amusement shone for a split second in her gaze before she carefully snuffed it out. "I'm sure Touga wouldn't mind carrying you up there, would you, Touga?" Turning her sharp gaze onto the Inu, she raised an eyebrow at his frown.

"Of course not." He almost growled, almost sounding offended she even had to ask him that before turning to face Niki himself. "Climb onto my back."

"Uh, how about not? I'll stay down here, start a fire and fight off anyone with sticks and stones, they break bones you know." Niki backed up a step, hands still raised up as Touga advanced on her. "I mean it, no! I'll stay here!"

"Do you find me so offensive that you would rather stay here where it is dangerous to be on your own than to be carried up the mountain?" Touga rumbled, eyebrows drawn together as he shot a sharp look down at the scowling woman in front of him. "No, I just find it offensive I have to be carried up a mountain by an annoying dog." She snapped back, both of them busy with their little argument as Kagome and Sango shared a knowing look.

"Would you two quit arguing like a married couple? We don't exactly have a lot of time." Inuyasha finally butted in, cutting off their glaring contest with a snort. "We aren't arguing like a married couple!" Niki snapped at him, frustrated with the whole situation and threw her hands up in the air. "You all are the ones wasting time here! I said I'd be perfectly fine staying behind while you went up the mountain, you're the ones arguing about bringing me along."

Turning back to Touga, she poked his chest with a stiff finger and simply growled back at him when he warned her off. "Look, I said I'd be fine and I mean it, now get going before I-"

Finally deciding to take matters into his own hands, Touga cut her off simply by picking Niki up and tossing her over his shoulder, careful to mind the spikes in his armor before turning around and easily leaping up the side of the cliff, leaving the others to trail after him and the swearing woman beating at his back with her fists.

* * *

"How much farther, Miyoga?" Inuyasha prompted the flea sitting on his shoulder while they trudged along a rugged mountain path, the sounds of stones being kicked by dragging feet the only other sound around them.

"Not much farther I imagine, if I remember correctly her hut is just on the other side of this pass." The old flea murmured thoughtfully, his eyes settled on a point ahead of them while they walked along. While Inuyasha and Miyoga talked, Kagome stole a glance over her shoulder at Niki trailing along at the back of the path, her eyes pointed down at her feet while she walked.

From the moment Touga landed at the top of the cliff, she hadn't said a single word to any of them. Staying silent all through their short break to eat something quick and drink some water and even when they set back out, not even Shippo could drag her into a conversation, only earning a quick smile at his attempts then ignored once again.

"What's wrong with her?" Hearing Sango beside her, Kagome looked over at her friend and saw she was staring back at Niki as well with a small frown on her face. "I don't know." Kagome sighed and faced forward again, watching as Inuyasha argued with the flea on his shoulder about something or another. "It's probably best to leave her alone at the moment, whatever's bothering her, she'll tell us when she wants to."

Nodding silently in agreement, Sango turned forward too, missing Niki's gaze as she glanced up at them, a small gleam of upset in her gaze as she stared at the others in front of her. This would be difficult to explain once she got the chance to...

* * *

"There it is! That's the old witch's house!" Miyoga's excited shout drew everyone's attentions as they rounded the edge of the curved path and walked out into a small meadow cut into the middle of the mountain with a small cottage set at the very end of the path.

"Wow... It's beautiful here..." Sango murmured, her eyes wide in surprise as she took in the flowering trees and budding flowers scattered all around them. "Yeah, I had no idea flowers would still be blooming this late in the year." Kagome agreed quietly, her own gaze roaming around the meadow before they stopped at the door of the cottage.

Hopping down Inuyasha's arm, Miyoga pointed at a small bit of stone tied to a rope hanging from the top of the door. "Use that to knock, Master Inuyasha. She won't answer for anything else." Following the flea's advice, Inuyasha grabbed the stone and lifted it up before letting go and watching as it fell against the wood with a soft thudding noise.

"Who is it?" The door cracked open a few inches, allowing them to see a green eye peer out at them curiously. Taking it upon himself to explain, Miyoga hopped over to the rock and gained their attention by clearing his throat. "These are the people I spoke to you about a few days ago." He said clearly, watching as the eye drifted over in his direction then back to the group before disappearing once more.

A soft clicking noise sounded before the door swung open to reveal and hunched woman that looked to be in her eighties staring up at them all. "I see then, follow me and I will do what I can to restore your friend to her rightful body." Motioning with one wrinkled hand, she disappeared into the hut, leaving the group to slowly follow her inside, Sesshomaru leading the way.

As he ducked down to enter the hut himself, Touga glanced back at Niki and frowned when he saw she wasn't following him inside. "Are you not going to enter?"

Flashing a wry smile at him, she shook her head and settled down on the sweet-smelling grass off to the side under a nearby apple tree. "Nah, this is all of you. I don't really have anything to do with any of it." One shoulder lifted up idly before dropping back down while she spoke in a half shrug.

"You had the stone, did you not?" Pausing to glance at the hut, he walked to where she sat and settled on the grass across from her, watching as she plucked a long blade and began twisting it around her fingers. "Well yeah, but all I did was have it. I don't even know her, or any of you for that matter. I'm just here because of unforeseen circumstance, right? I'm not even really part of this pack of yours, just a random person thrown into the mix."

Choosing to stay silent, Touga watched as she plucked several more blades and began to braid them together, her fingers moving deftly and with precision he failed to notice she had before now. "Why do you think this?"

"Why? Because it's true. If it wasn't, I wouldn't have said it." Niki snorted lightly at his question, her head shaking from side to side as she finished the braid and started on another one. "Look, you and I both know I really don't do anything besides help carry one bag and be a nuisance. I eat your food without contributing, I end up making you all loose time because I have a random habit of being kidnapped by people for no reason. I really don't know a thing about surviving."

"You know more than most." Touga studied her face as she worked, watching as various expressions danced across it while they spoke, curious despite himself to know why she thought this way. "Oh really? Wow, I know what snakes are safe and what ones you should keep clear of, goody for me."

Letting out a low growl, he grabbed one of her wrists to stop what she was doing and gained her attention. "I do not know where these thoughts came from, but you are knowledgeable. You understand many things most do not, you see things most fail to and know people better than they know themselves. It is strange and unusual, but it is you." He narrowed his eyes at her when she opened her mouth to protest. "You do not see it yourself because you cannot see yourself, but I do and I have seen you do these things and speak in a way none other could. Now stop acting like you are useless." With that he dropped her wrists and stood swiftly. "When you are calm join us inside, if you do not, I will return and carry you in myself."

Turning around, he didn't wait for her reply and disappeared into the hut, leaving Niki sitting there with a scowl and a fist of crumpled grass braids clenched tight.

* * *

"The stone her soul is housed in is strong, an enchantment I have never seen covers it." The witch murmured while she studied the gem in Sesshomaru's outstretched palm. Without asking she knew not to touch it, just from the look in his eyes when she asked to see the stone for herself. With as old as she was, she knew Inu were fierce and protective of their chosen mate, and would not hesitate to kill and slaughter whoever threatened them without a second thought. Best not test that and keep the Inu calm least he destroy her hut. she rather liked this place and didn't want to see it destroyed.

"However, I do believe I know how to break such an enchantment. The question is do you have the body?" Looking up at Sesshomaru she frowned at his expression. "Listen, pup, do not expect me to place her soul back into her body without the actual body. I am powerful yes, but not so much I can send the soul so far and expect it to settle into it without complication." Snorting at his furious glare, she turned away and began gathering various pots and herbs scattered about the room. "Retrieve the body and I will restore her to it. I am certain with your power you can do so without question."

With a low growl, Sesshomaru spun around and stalked from the hut just as Niki walked in, almost pushing her to the ground as he walked out. "Hey! Watch it!" She snapped, glaring at him as he growled at her words. "Jeez, what's his problem?"

Turning around she scowled as they all headed for the door themselves and followed them back out. "And outside we go again..."

"It seems we should have brought along Sonya's body as well as her soul." Miroku explained while they watched Sesshomaru gather his cloud under his feet and fly off in the direction they had traveled from much to Niki's surprise.

"Wait, he can fly too? Why didn't we just fly here?" She demanded suddenly, earning a few surprised looks in her direction. "Because, stupid, I can't fly and neither can you." Inuyasha snorted, earning a glare from her as he plopped onto the ground to wait for Sesshomaru to return.

"It's a honest question, Inuyasha." Kagome chastised him with a sharp look then turned back to Niki. "He's right though, Niki. The only ones that can fly are Sesshomaru and Kirara and they can't carry all of us. Even though Inuyasha can run fast, he can't keep up with them when they're travelling at full speed."

"Oh..."

"I can fly as well." Touga spoke up, receiving a few surprised looks for it. "I simply do not see the reason to unless it is needed." Huffing at that, Niki flopped onto the grass herself and laid on her back, arms spread out wide as she stared at the clouds above. "Well then, isn't that just dandy. Flying is normal with you lot."

"Well, not exactly. From what I know, only very powerful demons can fly unless they're like Kirara and born with the ability." Sango said thoughtfully, her gaze inward while she spoke. "And from what I've seen, both Sesshomaru and Touga are powerful in their own right so it isn't too surprising they can fly with their powers. When I think of it, Sonya may be able to as well if she were to train. After all, she brought Touga to life herself."

"I thought so myself. She shows great potential, but has never properly trained." Touga agreed, settling onto the grass beside the hut and leaned his back against the wall behind him. "Indeed, I've seen what she can do, and I suspect it is only a small amount." Miroku nodded from where he stood beside Sango, his own expression thoughtful.

"Well when she's back in her body, you can just train her and see." Niki shrugged from where she lay, eyes still focused above her while she listened to the others talk. "I have to say, I am pretty curious to see her, from what all of you have said, she's pretty cool..."

Silence reigned after her statement, each of them focused on their own thoughts while they waited for Sesshomaru to return.

* * *

Just as the sun was beginning to set, Touga caught Sesshomaru's scent headed in their direction and stood, the others following suit just as a white figure appeared just over the edge of the path. "About time, i was wondering if you got lost." Inuyasha crossed his arms as Sesshomaru landed outside of the hut, a securely wrapped form cradled in his arms. "Silence, half-breed. I, unlike you, would never become lost." Sesshomaru brushed past the hanyou and ducked back into the hut, the others in the pack smiling slightly as Inuyasha grumbled under his breath.

"It's good to see him being in a better mood." Kagome murmured softly, earning a few nods in agreement. "Better mood?" Niki questioned, one eyebrow raised high as she stared at the doorway Sesshomaru had disappeared into.

"Yes, he's been so quiet lately and now all of a sudden he's making fun of Inuyasha again." Sango explained to her as they all trailed inside once more, their eyes adjusting to the flickering light of the candles. "Normally he and Inuyasha would bicker, but he hasn't wanted to talk to anyone lately. Just now, when he spoke to Inuyasha... It means he's in a better mood."

"I guess..."

They all fell silent and watched as Sesshomaru laid the wrapped body in the center of a circle drawn onto the floor and slowly pulled the cloth away, revealing her face to everyone for the first time since she was trapped in the stone.

Sesshomaru turned to the old witch and watched as she took the stone from his hand gently and placed it on Sonya's forehead before sprinkling it with a powder from one of the many bowls scattered around the circle.

"I will now begin the process of extracting her soul from this stone and placing it back into her body." The witch explained, lighting a candle as she spoke and set it right above where Sonya's head lay before beginning to chant.

Staying at the back of the room, Niki watched in silence as the old witch worked. Even from where she stood she could see why the others claimed she looked so much like their friend. In fact, minus the scars littering what was exposed on her body and the two fluffy wolf tails coming out from behind her, they were identical, right down to the small freckle at the corner of her left eye.

 _'It's uncanny how much we look alike.'_ She mused silently, watching as the stone began to steadily glow with each word chanted in the silent hut. _'We could be mistaken as twins if I had a pair of tails myself.'_

Deciding this would take some time, she slipped out the door without being seen and walked out behind the hut, looking up at the moon as it just rose over the edges of the cliff surrounding the small glade, her eyes following it's path across the sky as it inched it's way across. It seemed this would take hours from what the setup looked like inside the hut, there were at least a dozen different bowls scattered around the circle and the woman had only used one of them so far.

"What are you doing out here?" Hearing Kagome from behind, Niki turned to look at the Miko and smiled wryly at her question. "Because I'm pretty sure it'll take her a while to do it. I didn't really like the idea of standing in the same place all that time so came out here for some fresh air."

"That's what I'm doing." Kagome laughed lightly and fell into step beside Niki as they walked along the narrow path winding around the glade in silence, simply enjoying the companionship the other offered while they waited.

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	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

 **Welp, here's another chapter, it's kinda slow going and a little blah towards the middle and end, but I did what I could with a four year old constantly coming up and demanding I answer her endless flow of questions about life, the universe and everything. So it's probably not my best work, but at least it's something.**

 **Anyway, hope you lot are still into this story as much as you were before and I really do hope to finish it before the end of the year, but I honestly have no idea.**

 _ **By the way: I want to thank Cat2k10** **for her pm to me the other day. I just now read it and I have to say, it made me feel better than I thought it would, so seriously, thank you for the message, I appreciate it more than I could say.**_

 **Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's character**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

* * *

Keeping her eyes closed, Niki listened to the soft conversations going on around her in the sheltered glade. It wasn't long before Kagome and herself were joined by Sango, Miroku and Inuyasha. Shippo wasn't too far behind them when they came out, clinging to Kagome tightly with a sad look in his eyes. Sesshomaru and Touga chose to stay inside with the witch as she transferred Sonya's soul back into her body, leaving the others to wander about until they were told what happened.

"Why is it taking so long?" Inuyasha's brash voice brought Niki from her quiet contemplation and made her eyes crack open slightly to stare over at the red clad hanyou with a raised eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure it takes a lot of energy and concentration to move a soul." She muttered idly, earning a glare from him in her efforts. "Whatever." He growled and laid his head on Kagome's lap with a low grumble, making the miko blush slightly and smile down at him.

Feeling a small twinge in her chest, Niki glanced over at Sango and Miroku, seeing they were deep in conversation. _'Well... Guess I'm on my own.'_ Sighing internally, she stood from where she reclined against the tree behind her and walked farther into the glade, studying the fruits that were still growing on the branches above with idle curiosity. "It's almost winter down off the mountain and it should be freezing up here." Shaking her head lightly, a small smile lighting her features as she reached up to pick an apple hanging above her.

A sudden tightening around her neck made Niki pause and look down at the snake still wrapped there with a frown. "What's that about? It's just a fruit." The snake, unable to answer her properly merely tightened again and looked back the direction they came from, back towards the group pointedly. "Alright alright fine." Huffing under her breath, she cast another look at the apple tree before turning around to join the others once more. "So insistent you know that?"

Settling down once she got farther from the tree, the snake merely laid his head back down and closed his eyes once more. "Go ahead and ignore me, you little jerk." Muttering under her breath, Niki stopped just beside the hut and cast a quick glance over at the others, each of them talking about something with their other half.

Without letting herself think about it too deeply, she ducked back into the hut to join Sesshomaru and Touga inside.

* * *

Kneeling beside Sonya across from Sesshomaru, Touga stared down at the wolf's face intently, searching for any sign of life as the old witch continued to chant in the background. A soft tickling seemed to dust his senses for the slightest moment before he brushed it off and focused back on the woman lying on the ground in front of him.

Sesshomaru himself was focused on her features as well, golden eyes intent as he watched the light from the glowing gem wash over her face with each pulse it gave out. Ever since the old witch had placed the gem on her, he couldn't feel or sense Sonya. Before, even while not in contact with the stone, he could at least feel her through their bond, but now, he couldn't feel anything and it agitated him more than he could say. His instinct to protect had him bristling more and more as the ritual went on.

The chanting finally stopped, bringing both Inu's attention back to the witch as she picked up the last bowl beside her, expression intense as she stirred the liquid inside swiftly. "Open her mouth, pup, she must drink this before her soul returns or the body will reject it." The simple order sent Sesshomaru's hackles up at the tone but he silently obeyed, willing to put up with being ordered around for Sonya's sake, even if it was by a old witch that had no rights to do so.

Staying quiet, father and son watched as the witch carefully poured the mixture into Sonya's open mouth, almost holding their breath as the last drop drained in and the witch resumed her chanting with a louder voice. Within moments the gem began pulsing brighter, seemingly responding to her voice as she urged the soul to reunite with it's body in an ancient tongue few could understand.

And just as quickly as the pulsing started it stopped, casting the room into a dim glow from flickering candles set about them. Falling silent, the witch kept her eyes closed, feeling the energy within the gem with a careful mind, silently worrying it wouldn't respond to her urging when it burst into a thousand little shards and rained down on their heads.

Jerking back in surprise, Sesshomaru shot a glare at the witch, silently demanding answers as she brushed the shards of gem away from Sonya's still face, her lips pursed lightly in thought. "We must now wait for her soul to decide. The jewel has broken, freeing her from it's confines. Now it is for her to choose." sitting back on her heels, the witch wiped a hand across her damp forehead, obvious exhaustion overtaking her within moments and leaving her slumped forward.

Seeing this, Niki walked over and helped her to her feet, gently urging the witch to the table set to the side of the room and pouring a cup of tea from the ready pot. "Thank you for doing what you could." She murmured softly, shooting a quick glance over at the two Inu still sitting beside the wolf's body and casting a small smile over at the tired woman.

"Indeed, as I have said, it is now up to the wolf to return. We are never certain of other's choices." The witch looked over at them as well and heaved a small sigh. "I only wish I could have done more." Niki shook her head and settled down across from the witch and rested her chin on her hands. "Like I said, you did what you could. That's all any of us could ask for." Falling silent, the both of them sipped tea as they waited for any sign of life from the wolf.

* * *

The sun was beginning to make it's way back into the sky when Niki was shaken awake. "Hmm...?" Mumbling softly under her breath, she cracked her eyes open and blinked at Touga as he leaned over her with a small, amused expression. "Oh, it's you." She grumbled and sat up, arms stretching over her head as she let out a yawn. "What time is it?"

"The sun has just risen." He turned to glance over his shoulder at where Sesshomaru still knelt beside Sonya, a flicker of worry sparking in his eyes before he hid it and turned back to Niki as she ran her hands through her hair in an attempt to fix it. "How is it going?"

"She still shows no signs of awaking. I believe the worst of our fears may have come." He shook his head lightly and settled onto the mat beside her heavily. "Don't give up hope yet, I'm sure she's just tired from the whole ordeal." Niki lifted her shoulders in a shrug and let out a soft yawn.

"I hope you are correct..." Touga shook his head again and settled back while she poured tea for him and herself. "I know I am, just relax." She flashed a wry smile at him as she lifted the cup to her lips. "You all keep telling me how much the both of us are alike and I'm only thinking about how I'd react to the situation, and I'd be tired, have you checked her heartbeat?"

"It beats." Sesshomaru's answer drew their attention to where he still knelt, eyes locked onto her face. "But she will not wake."

"Did you think maybe she's sleeping right now? I can only imagine how exhausting it has to be when you're moved from a stone to a real body. If anything she's getting used to it again is all." Niki stood up and stretched her legs before heading towards the door with another soft yawn. "Give her time like the old witch said. That's all you can do right now."

With that said she walked outside into the sunlight, leaving the two of them alone in the hut.

* * *

"Girl."

Turning around, Niki spotted the old witch standing at the edge of the path beside the hut, one hand waving at her to follow as she turned and walked behind the hut, disappearing from view. Suppressing a groan, she followed her quietly into the glen.

Catching up with the witch, she stopped under one of the fruit trees and raised an eyebrow at her. "What did you want?"

"I have seen your soul, girl. and it does not belong in our world."

"Well yeah... I don't really remember, but Kagome is convinced I'm from her time in the future." Niki frowned slightly, slightly confused with the sudden conversation.

"No, it is not a displacement from one's own time. You do not belong in our world, no matter when you are from." The witch frowned as well, her green eyes roaming over Niki's features while she spoke. "You should not be here. Your memories, you say you do not have them any longer?"

"No... I can't remember anything to be honest." Niki shrugged and glanced around the area, subtly inhaling the gentle scent of apples and grass and relaxed. "It's slow going... From time to time I'll get flashes of something but it's not much."

Closing her eyes, the witch remained in silent thought for a moment, contemplating what had just been said before opening her eyes again and nodding once. "I will help you, girl. But be warned, what memories you hold may be difficult to have."

Blinking slightly, Niki gaped at the witch in surprise. _'It was that easy? Find a witch and get back my memories?'_ "You can do that? Get my memories back I mean."

"Of course, child. Do you take me for a weakling?" The witch laughed softly and reached up, picking an apple from the hanging branch above her and offered it to Niki. "Eat the fruit and all of your memories may return. But be warned, it will be painful."

Niki quirked an eyebrow at the witch's choice of words. "The fruit of knowledge? That's a bit... Biblical." After only receiving a confused look from the old woman, she chose not to explain and plucked the apple from her palm and turned it around in her fingers, studying it's red skin curiously. "And you're saying if I eat this, I'll remember everything? Just like that?"

"As I have said, girl, your soul does not belong in this world, so nothing will be simple for you. Your memories are not part of this plane of existence and will prove painful to recover. They must pass through the veil that separates our worlds to return to you. Choose to eat or not, I will warn your companions of the trial you will face." With that the old witch walked back towards the hut and her gathered friends to give Niki the privacy she needed to think.

* * *

Settling on the grass, Niki unwound the snake from her neck and let him coil on the ground beside her as she stared at the apple in her hand. "So... This is what you didn't want me to eat? Why not?" She asked the lazy reptile when it lifted it's head to stare at her from where he lay. "Well?"

Flicking it's tongue out, the snake simply laid its head back down and closed it's eyes once again, ignoring her as Niki growled lightly at it then returned to her inspection of the fruit. It looked like any ordinary apple if she was honest, red and firm, a little cool to the touch and it smelled sweet. Lifting it up to the sun, she frowned in thought. 'If I eat this the old witch said I'd get my memories back, right? But it would hurt because apparently I don't even belong in this world at all, not just this time.'

Dropping her hand back into her lap, Niki let out a small sigh and closed her eyes, her head leaning back against the tree behind her. "What the hell am I supposed to do, huh?" She muttered out loud to herself as she scowled at nothing at all. "I mean, this is what I wanted, but I'm not eating it so what the hell is my problem?"

Letting out a frustrated growl she let herself slip to the side and laid on the ground instead, eyes closed tight against the bright sunlight, the apple clutched in one hand, the other laying open beside her. Keeping silent, she just lay there, letting her mind wander in whatever direction it pleased, ignoring everything else around her for the moment as a sense of peace settled over her for the first time since she woke up without her memories. Vague faces drifted across her thoughts followed by disjointed voices saying random phrases she had heard over the past few days.

As she lay there, a small smile stole over her face, simply enjoying the warmth the sun offered. For once, she didn't feel pressured to remember, to act to even want anything at all. She just wanted to relax and lay there for as long as she possibly could. "If you wish to sleep in the open, be aware that anything could attack while you lay defenseless."

That was unless a frustrating Inu decided to intrude on her peace and offer useless advice. Heaving a soft sigh, she sat up and narrowed her eyes at the towering demon standing in front of her. "What do you want, Touga?" Niki grumbled, a hand reaching up to brush the loose grass from her hair and picked the snake up so it could wrap back around her as Touga joined her on the grass.

"The witch had told us of her offer to you."

"Oh..." She dropped her gaze and plucked at the grass idly. "Yeah, she told me it might hurt, so I dunno."

"You do not strike me the type to shy away from pain." Touga raised an eyebrow at her sudden withdraw, watching as she studiously avoided his gaze. "Well you don't exactly know me then, do you? No one knows me, I don't even know me." Niki muttered, keeping her eyes pointed down away from him as she plucked another piece of grass and tore it apart slowly.

"While that may be true, I beleive your problem had been the lost memories you now have a chance to regain. Could it be you fear what those memories are?" Hearing this, Niki ducked her head down again and shredded the grass quicker, determined not to look up at him. "I don't know. It could be that, it could be I have a family out there somewhere. It could be nothing, I suppose you could say it's the fear of the unknown becoming known that's making me think."

"If it is worry the others would turn their backs on you after you regain your memories, rest assured they will not. Kagome seems to have grown attached to you as well as the kitsune. My sons, while rude, do not mind your presence as much any longer." Fed up with her actions, Touga reached out and grabbed one of her wrists, effectively stopping her from widening the bald part of ground she continued to pull grass from and forced her to look up at him. "You must make your decision. You are the only one that can." Letting her go, he stood up and brushed the grass from his hakima then walked away without another word. "Yeah, well you never had to worry about something like this." Niki muttered under her breath once he was out of sight, her eyes dropping down to where the apple still lay beside her and heaved a small sigh.

"What the hell."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

 **A little different, but still slow for the most part. The best chapter is coming up next, several new things are realized and Niki finds out just what the witch meant when she said 'you don't belong here'.**

 **Hope you like the reunion bit, I had some fun writing that up. Let me know what you think and I'll see you all either later today/tonight or tomorrow with another chapter.**

 **Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

"Do you think she will?"

"I'm not sure, she seems reluctant."

"Just let her make her choice guys."

Faint conversation reached Niki's ears as she slowly walked back towards the cabin hours later, a frown touched her lips when she heard what they said. _'Kagome is the only one that knows how to handle situations like this. Everyone else has to put their noses into someone else's business.'_

Pausing at the edge of the hut, she looked down at the snake wound around her arm. She didn't want to think about anything at the moment, her mind needed to be clear in order to make her choice, but with everything that was going on made it difficult.

The most important thing being Sonya. With that thought, she rounded the corner of the hut and made her way over to Kagome. "How's Sonya doing?"

Kagome looked over at her in surprise then smiled slightly. "Well, Sesshomaru said she had squeezed his hand when he grabbed it. She didn't wake up though, so there's still hope for her yet." Niki felt a wave of relief wash over her at the news, granted she didn't even know Sonya, it was still good to hear the wolf was on her way to recovery. "That's great, Kagome."

"Yeah, I can't wait for her to wake up. I can only imagine her reaction when you two finally meet properly." The miko giggled lightly at the image in her head, making Niki roll her eyes in playful irritation. "Sure sure." Shaking her head lightly, she walked away and settled down under a tree near the edge of the glade, putting as much space between herself and the others and closed her eyes with a small sigh.

 _'So... Things are going to be a little more difficult than originally planned. But that's alright, I can handle it.'_ A small smile drifted across her face as she lifted it to the sunlight. 'Until that bridge comes along, I'll do what I do best and just go with the flow so to speak.'

A shadow drifted across her face along with the smell of pine trees, drawing Niki from her thoughts and pulling the smile from her face. "You can't tell me I'll be attacked right now because I know for a fact you could easily sense anything with ill intent before it even got close enough to scratch me."

Touga shook his head slightly and stared down at Niki's still upturned face with idle amusement. "I see you finally returned. Have you eaten the fruit?"

"Why does it concern you?"

Choosing to stay silent, Touga simply looked away, gazing down the path leading away from the glen and back into the mountain, idly noting the scent of snow drifting towards them. "Thought so, now be a good boy and leave me alone so I can just think, alright?"

Shooting a sharp look back over at her, he opened his mouth to retort back when he saw the pained expression on her face before it faded away once more. "You've already eaten the fruit."

"Swell observation skills there, Watson." Niki groaned slightly, another flash of heat roaring through her mind and splitting her head open like a watermelon. "Now go away."

He hesitated, unsure if he should just leave the woman alone or stay with her despite what she said. True, he didn't really know her well enough, he knew enough to realize what she really meant when she said things like that.

Just as he was about to settle on the grass, Kagome's loud voice broke through the glade. "Sonya!"

* * *

A soft pressure on her hand was what drug her back to consciousness, through the dark and vague dreams drifting there and up to the surface where the waking world lived. "Nng..." A soft groan issued from her lips as she slowly cracked her eyes open against the flickering light all around, trying to make sense of her surroundings when her gaze landed on the one face she wanted to see most at the moment.

"Sessh..." Sonya grimaced at the dryness in her throat, ignoring his attempt to keep her laying and sat upright. "Water." Letting out a low breath, Sesshomaru reached for the pitcher beside where she lay and poured a little water into the cup there then held it up to her lips so she could drink.

Once done, she grinned up at Sesshomaru, an eyebrow raised slightly at his expression. "Don't tell me the big bad king of stone is about to cry over a wolf now." Reaching up, she flicked his nose lightly and laughed at his disgruntled expression. "Calm down, doggie. I'm fine, just tired as hell. Help me up would you?"

Choosing not to argue with her, Sesshomaru lifted her in his arms and growled softly when she protested against it. "I will carry you outside without complaint, wolf." Falling silent, Sonya let him have his way. It must have been harder on him than she thought it was, he needed the physical evidence she was really there now and not in some costume jewelry.

Laying her head on his shoulder, Sonya breathed in his scent subtly and let out a happy growl, earning a low chuckle from the Inu as he ducked through the doorway and walked outside. Squinting in the bright sunlight, Sonya lifted one of her hands to shield herself from the light.

Once she grew used to it, she smiled at the sight of the pack scattered around the glen, talking, relaxing or, in Inuyasha's case, sleeping. Glancing up at Sesshomaru, she laughed at his small frown and nuzzled his neck.

Her laugh drifted over to where Kagome knelt beside her bag, making the miko look up quickly and gape at the sight of her oldest friend being carried out by Sesshomaru, wide awake and smiling wryly around the area. "Sonya!" Her shout caused the others to glance over and repeat her sentiment before rushing over to where Sesshomaru stood, gathering around so they could see the wolf better.

"Easy. Easy!" Sonya laughed and scratched Kirara behind the ears when she jumped over to her stomach and curled up there, purring in contentment. "I'm fine, stop acting like it's been years since I last woke up, it's not like I was in a coma or anything." Sango and Miroku laughed lightly and patted a shoulder each, Shippo remained on Kagome's shoulder, a wide grin stretching across his face as he watched his adopted aunt laugh.

Kagome pushed forward and gave her an awkward hug, ignoring Sesshomaru while she held the wolf tightly, tears soaking into the shirt she wore. "I was so worried I'd never see you again." She managed to get out between sobs before Inuyasha managed to pull her away and wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he smirked down at the wolf himself. "Keh, you look worse than before."

"Inuyasha!" Kagome elbowed him in the ribs, earning a scowl when he looked down at her. Sonya simply laughed and shook her head lightly. "I warrant I still look better than you, pup."

"Keh." He looked away, ears flicking back and forth on his head while he silently celebrated her return. Not that he'd admit it out loud, but he missed the wolf's dry humor and idle insults directed at him. Things felt back to normal now that she was back.

Finally Touga made his way forward, eyes locked onto her face when she turned her own blue eyes in his direction. "Oh, well then, the party's complete. All we need is some streamers and party favors to pass around." She chuckled, glancing up at Sesshomaru when his grip tightened slightly. Touga stopped a few feet away and carefully looked Sonya over, checking for anything out of the ordinary before deeming her fine and cast a smile in her direction. "I see your stay within the stone has not tempered you."

"You kidding, a week in the lake of fire wouldn't do anything to me. I'll always be grumpy and full of dry humor and insults." Sonya snorted, her nose tipping up slightly while she spoke. "Don't insult my ability to insult."

Chuckling lightly, he patted her head lightly, receiving a growl from his eldest when he did and simply raised an eyebrow at his reaction before backing away. No point in aggravating the boy now, he would want time alone with Sonya to reacquaint himself with her scent again. The rest of the pack gathered around, watching as the two made their way behind the hut and back into the privacy of the glen to be alone.

"Well, that's all over and done with." Miroku finally stated, a few nods of agreement from the others. "What do we do now?"

"Now we wait and allow them the privacy they desire. When they return, we will leave the glade." Kagome glanced over at Touga, her eyebrows pulling together in sudden thought. "Where's Niki?"

Sango frowned and looked around the area curiously herself only to come up empty. "I thought I saw her over by the entrance to the glade, but she's not there anymore."

Turning around himself, Touga spotted the empty space she had just been sitting in. He had completely forgotten the woman once Kagome had announced Sonya was awake. So intent on making sure the wolf was fine, he didn't think twice about Niki until just now.

"I will find her, it would be best for you to pack your things for when we leave." The pack nodded then turned away to begin gathering various items they had set up for their makeshift camp while Touga went out in search for their missing member.

* * *

Stumbling over yet another root sticking from the ground, Niki swore as the skin on the palm of her hand tore open when she grabbed the trunk of a nearby tree to keep from falling. Throughout the group's reunion with Sonya, the heat in her mind had traveled through the rest of her body, scorching her from the inside out. But along with that heat came stabbing pains in her legs and arms.

In an attempt to ease it, she had gotten up and began looking for water of any kind, a stream a pond, even a hot spring, but she still couldn't find anything at all. _'Trust my luck and the old witch only has a little well she draws water from when she needs it.'_ Gritting her teeth, Niki paused and leaned up against another tree, wincing at the tightening feeling in her gut, almost as if something was twisting it around like a big fork and a plate of spaghetti.

Once the sensation passed, she stumbled on, her vision hazing in and out despite her glasses, making the trek even harder than it should have been. She didn't see the branches that hung low, earning several scratches along her face and neck when she didn't duck or move them out of the way.

She couldn't see anything laying on the ground, so she became very well acquainted with the hard earth under her feet whenever she tripped. She knew she must have looked horrible, but the thought of soaking in a pool of water kept her moving despite everything. That was all she wanted, was a nice little pool of water big enough for her to lay in. Was that too much to ask for?

Apparently. Grunting softly, Niki gave in and slumped to the ground, laying on her side and wrapping her arms around her legs as a sudden wave of cold shivers rocked her to her core. Teeth chattering, she clenched her fists and squeezed her eyes shut tight, trying to stave it off the best she could and relaxed once it passed.

"How much longer..." She groaned and laid her head against the ground, ignoring the grass when it tickled her ear. It was amazing she could feel anything with how hot she felt. In fact, she was more surprised at the fact nothing ended up burning from her touching it than the fact that the tree leaves had steadily became blue and purple in color the farther she traveled.

 _'Witches and their magic, I can only imagine what she does with these kinds of trees.'_ Tucking her chin to her chest, Niki lay there, trying to relax against the pains wracking her body when the blessed sensation of blackness finally passed over her senses. _'Finally...'_ She managed to think before sinking into a very welcome sleep.

* * *

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	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

 **Alright, just a warning for you all, some of this stuff was hard for me to write because it did actually happen to me. So excuse me for not going into much detail, just glossed over the important facts so you got the idea of what happened without me explaining every little thing.**

 **Yet again, I will tell you like I did in the beginning, anything that's sad or upsetting in this chapter or mentioned in later chapters are NOT PUT THERE FOR YOU TO PITY, OFFER ANY TYPE OF CONDOLENCE FOR. I simply put them in here to make it more or less realistic. The OC Niki is specifically ME not someone I made up. Anything she says, does or remembers doing are things I would say, do or have actually done.**

 **Do not send me apologies for anything sad/upsetting you've read in here, it's pointless in my book, I've already gone through it and have come to peace with what has happened. So please, just read and enjoy.**

 **Other than that nothing else to say here,**

 **Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

Shock, denial, grief, anger... Each emotion crossed her mind as Niki drifted in and out of semi-consciousness, a dark cloud of vague images, faint voices and chock full of emotion she couldn't place.

Faces crossed her mind's eye, blond, curly hair and bright smile, mouth moving but no words came out. Whoever she was, she was excited about something, Niki could just tell by the way the girl's blue eyes sparkled.

A flash then another image, this one of a boy with long brown hair and green eyes, a cocky grin in place as he stared at her. He didn't say anything, just stared, embarrassment flooded her mind before the picture faded away once again. This time replaced by the same boy with shorter hair, only he wasn't smiling, in fact he seemed to be glaring at her this time. His mouth moved then he turned and walked away, a deep sadness accompanied this picture along with a deep sense of betrayal.

 _'Memories.'_ Niki finally realized, the thought alone brightening the dark cloud she drifted through. _'These must be my memories.'_ With this new-found knowledge, she began watching with more interest, paying attention to each emotion attached to the memory that surfaced. _'That girl, that's Jinx!'_ A wide smile split Niki's face as she stared at the curly haired girl again while she walked beside her. _'That's right, we were inseparable. Everyone called us gay because we held hands and shit in school. Mostly because we wanted to freak people out.'_

Satisfied with this, she turned her head and studied the next memory that floated forward, this time of a group of people all gathered around in what looked like a living room, brightly wrapped boxes scattered about. _'Christmas with the family. There's Matt, Jessica... Mom and Maynard.'_ Watching curiously, she saw her brother rip open a box and blink down at the second wrapped box inside. _'Mom would 'booby trap' one gift each year, it was Matt's turn this time.'_ A low giggle slipped from her lips as she looked away and searched for another memory.

Niki had no sense of time while she watched her entire life unfold in front of her, it was a long, continuous montage of random moments of her past really, the important things she would always remember.

Once the pleasant ones were out of the way, up from the pits rose the ones the buried deep in an attempt to forget.

Sexually abused by her step father and step brother.

Tormented in school, things being thrown at her.

Never allowed to leave her room and join everyone in the living room.

Seeing one of her best friends kill themselves.

Watching as each boy she dated cheated on her time and time again.

Loosing the love of her life because he wanted to have fun and apparently she wasn't.

Finally the baby.

Her beautiful son, fathered by the same man that left her because he got bored.

Then the worst of it.

Tears streamed down her face as she watched herself wake up later than usual in the morning, confusion evident as she got out of bed and walked over to check on her son only to find him face down in his crib and unmoving.

Watching as she pulled him out and attempted to give him fetal CPR.

Calling 911.

Rushing to the hospital, waiting in a private room.

Being told it was too late and he was gone.

Then the funeral where she decorated the table herself, scattering plastic flowers around the urn his ashes sat in thinking if he couldn't live to see spring for the first time, to at least send him off with flowers of some kind.

Crying herself to sleep every night for months afterwards. Blaming herself for what happened.

Loosing touch with nearly everyone and simply locking herself away.

Closing her eyes, Niki quietly sobbed into her hands, curled up while she floated through the clouds of memories, her heart breaking all over again over her son, not even three months old when he died.

Choosing to ignore the rest, she remained curled up, trying to block the world and her own thoughts out. Just letting the memories return on their own without searching anymore. She couldn't take anything else after this.

* * *

They all sat around the campfire, each shooting furtive glances over at the witch's hut where Sonya lay inside under the old woman's care. Touga had found her collapsed in a thick patch of trees, shivering and burning with fever.

When he brought her back, the witch took one look at her and directed him to lay her down on the futon she had laid out inside. "The only thing we can do for her is to watch and wait." She had cautioned each of them before disappearing inside herself as Touga stepped back out, presumably to take care of their sick friend.

After being questioned by Kagome thoroughly, they all found out it was a side-effect of regaining her memories from the fruit she had eaten. Now all they could do was wait and hoped her fever broke soon. For once, even Inuyasha was silent as they stared at the fire or busied themselves with menial things.

Hours later the old witch stepped outside, wiping her hands on a cloth and cast a weary smile at the inquisitive stares she was receiving. "The fever has broke, she will rest easy now. You are welcome to move her so she may sleep outside with you. Should the fever return, wake me immediately." With that said, she ducked back inside, followed by Touga so he could retrieve Niki and bring her out and lay her down on the sleeping bag Kagome was laying on the ground for her.

"Do you think she'll be okay?" Shippo's soft voice drew the miko's attention from what she was doing and made her smile gently. "The witch said she's fine now, Shippo. I'm sure she'll be alright, Niki isn't the kind of person I expect to take anything laying down." The fox kit smiled up at her and nodded slightly, moving out of the way when Touga stepped back outside and laid her down comfortably.

"Well I'll be damned, she is my twin, isn't she?" Sonya startled Kagome when she suddenly appeared to stare down at the newest pack addition with a pair of wide eyes. "That's just... Freaky. Is that what I looked like without these tails?"

Giggling under her breath, Kagome sat back on her heels and shook her head lightly. "You had more scars, and you barely ever looked this peaceful, even when you were asleep." Nudging her friend in the ribs, the miko watched with amusement when Sonya stuck her tongue out at her then returned to her examination.

"Same hair, same face, same everything. It's weird I'm telling you. It's like looking into a warped mirror or something." Leaning forward, she brushed the long bangs from Niki's face and studied it's features closer, idly noting the freckle near her eye and shaking her head lightly. "Man..."

"I'm sure you can imagine our shock when we found her." Sango piped up, making the two of them turn around and settle back down in their spots around the fire. "I thought I was seeing a ghost at first."

"I must agree with Sango, We had just witnessed the very stone you had been trapped in vanish from right in front of us, only to return to Kiade's hut and find a replica sitting there. If it was not for the missing tails, I would have completely mistaken her for you." Miroku added thoughtfully, eyes locked onto the flickering flames in front of him before looking up and flashing a smile at Sonya. "But of course, we could never mistake anyone for you."

"Suck it up all you want, Miroku. It's not working." Sonya grumbled and cast another look over at Niki. "I have to ask though, how did she end up travelling with you all in the first place?"

"Well... She had lost her memory, I'm sure you remember. And while we were staying in the village, Miyoga appeared telling us about this witch that could return you to your body. Before he had appeared, however, Kagome and I had already promised to help Niki regain her memories. We didn't feel right leaving her behind after that, so we suggested she come with us instead." Sango explained while swiping a cleaning cloth over the surface of her boomerang. "If anything it helped in the long run. She couldn't do much, but some of the things she said helped us keep our heads on straight."

"Keh, all she did was complain and boss us around." Inuyasha interjected with a grumble from where he sat beside Kagome, his arms folded in their normal fashion while the miko rested her head on his shoulder. "Be fair, Inuyasha, if it had not been for her suggestion for us to travel ahead while you and Kagome stayed behind to gather supplies, we would have lost a whole day's journey." The monk chastised him with a stern expression, making the hanyou snort and look away, unwilling to agree with him on that.

"She is pretty smart too. Even without her memories she could tell the difference between an poisonous snake and a safe one. Some silly little rhyme but it worked. It's that same snake wrapped around her arm right now." Sango added, nodding her head over in the direction Niki lay, one arm laid across her stomach with a striped snake loosely wound around her wrist.

Suddenly Kagome let out a laugh and shook her head at the sudden thought that came to her. "Then she went and got herself kidnapped by the guardian of a forest we were passing through only to end up with his protection instead."

"And all of this in under a week. She's pretty interesting for all of that to happen so quickly."

"Most of it happened in one day to be honest."

"Either way, I can't wait until she wakes up. I have quite a few things I want to talk to her about. Mainly about using our look-a-like status to confuse the hell out of people." Sonya snickered, ignoring Sesshomaru's sharp look in her direction while she curled up beside him, her head resting on his leg like normal.

"Well, we don't know if she'll wake up tonight or not. We don't even know if the fever will stay away." With a worried glance back at the sleeping girl, Kagome chewed her lower lip thoughtfully. "I think I'll stay awake and keep an eye on her, just in case."

"If you want, we can take turns, Kagome." Sango offered while tossing a worried glance in the same direction herself then turned back to Kagome in time to see her slowly nodding. "Alright, I'll take first watch."

"Wake me up when you get tired and no later than that." The slayer warned before letting out a soft yawn and laying down, Kirara curled up in her arms as she slowly drifted off into sleep.

It wasn't too long after before the rest of the pack began drifting off one by one, Miroku, Shippo, Sonya... Each of them taking slow, easy breaths while they slept.

Glancing over at Inuyasha, Kagome smiled wryly at his usual posture against a nearby tree. "Go to sleep, Inuyasha. I'm pretty sure it's safe here, we haven't been bothered yet anyway."

"Keh, I ain't tired wench. Just keep an eye on the human." With a snort, he closed his eyes and relaxed slightly, ears swiveling on top of his head while he sat there, making Kagome shake her head in a mix of frustration and amusement. Turning back to Niki, she reached out and gently placed her wrist on her forehead, checking to make sure it stayed cool then pulled the blanket up a little higher on her so it rested on her chest rather than her stomach. "I really hope you wake up tomorrow. If not, Sonya is going to drive all of us crazy asking questions about you." She whispered to the sleeping woman, a small smile lighting her features at the thought.

"I am certain she will awaken tomorrow." Looking over, Kagome blinked at Touga where he still sat beside the fire, one hand feeding another stick into it while he stared back at her. "Her heart beats easily and her breathing is even. She simply sleeps for now. She will awaken tomorrow."

"You think so?" Kagome looked back down at Niki and bit her lower lip lightly, watching the gentle rise and fall of her chest. "Yes." Hearing his affirmative, she felt a knot of tension suddenly ease from between her shoulders, one she didn't even know she had until it vanished. "Good." Breathing out a small sigh, she brushed a loose bit of hair from her eyes and settled down beside Niki, keeping watch over her until she felt close to falling asleep, then woke Sango up so she could finish the night out.

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	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

 **Sorry about yesterday, had to settle down and relax after typing up that last chapter. I'm all good now and ready to go once again!**

 **Here's another sorta filler, I'm loafing about at the moment because I'm still deciding how exactly to go about revealing things to everyone, for now I'll just do random happenings and more filler stuff until I do come up with something. It should be good anyway, I already have a couple things planned for our favorite pack during their trip back to Edo.**

 **Erm... Not much else to say here, I had something in mind but I forgot it to be honest. I had a pretty long, busy day today so forgive my wandering mind.**

 **Anywayyyy**

 **Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

The soft crackling of a fire accompanied by chirping of crickets drew Niki from her sleep. Furrowing her eyebrows together, she frowned and shifted around against the sleeping bag she lay on, trying to move the rock that seemed content to poke her in the center of her back no matter how much she wiggled around.

A shuffle of clothing off to the side made her crack her eyes open and stare up at a pair of familiar brown eyes smiling down at her. "You're awake."

"Erm... Yeah..." Blinking up at Sango, Niki slowly sat up and rubbed a hand through her hair while glancing around the small camp settled in the glade they still stayed in. From where she sat, she could clearly see Sonya curled up against Sesshomaru, her head laying on his leg with a content smile on her face, one of his hands buried in her hair while he stared down at her in silence.

Inuyasha and Touga sitting side-by-side next to the fire, talking in soft tones about something or another, then Kagome laying not too far off from where she was, Shippo and Kirara curled up against her side like little balls of fur. Miroku was no where in sight.

"What's going on?" She finally asked, turning to look at Sango as the slayer straightened up and offered her a bottle of water. "You've been out nearly all day and night, the sun will be rising soon."

"Ah." Nodding thoughtfully, she took a drink of the water before setting the bottle aside and rubbing a hand over her face with a deep sigh. "Well I need a bath, dunno about you."

Sango blinked with confusion while Niki picked through one of the nearby bags for the bathing supplies then stood and walked out of the camp, ignoring the curious looks she received from the others that were awake at the time. It wasn't hard to figure out they all wanted to know if she regained her memories.

That was a given.

What she didn't want to deal with was the reactions once she told them exactly where she came from. That part would be difficult to explain and even think about, at the moment she had a splitting headache and just wanted to soak in some warm water.

Wandering around the glade, searching in the trees for something to wash up in or at, she stumbled on a small pond of perfectly clear water. She wouldn't have thought twice about bathing there if there wasn't a little wooden stand for clothes and drying cloth set up near the water.

With a quick glance around, she checked to be sure the coast was clear before shedding her clothing and slipping into the surprisingly warm water and swam out to the middle with sure, strong strokes. Once she reached it, she paused, floating in the water weightlessly, eyes locked onto the water, watching as the ripples faded away leaving a smooth mirror reflecting the stars in the sky above.

A small smile hovered on her face as she tipped her head back and soaked her hair in the water. Peace surrounded Niki while she slowly bathed herself quietly, taking her time in order to settle the rampant thoughts running through her mind from the moment she woke up.

In hindsight, maybe regaining her memories at this exact moment in time wasn't the best idea. But how could she have known what they held? And then there's the whole Sonya/Sesshomaru thing, that would be awkward as hell when things got around to that again. It was bound to happen, and it would be impossible to lie with two powerful full demons sitting there that can scent lies.

 _'Well, I am a writer. Words are my life, I'm pretty sure I can talk my way around all of it. At least until we get back to Edo and can part ways.'_ Nodding to herself, she ducked under the water and washed the soap from her hair then swam back to the shore and dried off before putting her clothes on and walking back to the camp.

* * *

Conversation stopped the second she stepped back into the camp, each one there turning to look at her expectantly, making Niki shift nervously on her feet. It was unreal to even see them right in front of her, even more so to think she had spent a whole week with them.

Licking her lips slightly, she offered a small smile at them before nodding her head jerkily once. "Yeah. I got 'em back."

What could only be described as a female explosion of squeals sounded before she was bombarded by three pairs of arms wrapping around her tightly. "I don't know you or anything, but here's a hug." Sonya laughed in her right ear, making Niki chuckle wryly under her breath as Kagome nearly cracked her ribs with another hug. "It's so good to hear that, Niki. We were all pretty worried about it." The miko murmured, her head resting on Niki's other shoulder. Sango merely nodded while she hugged the girl then pulled away with a smile plastered across her face.

Struggling to detangle herself from the two still attached to her, Niki cast a panicked look around then settled on Touga who was grinning wide at her expression. "Don't just stand there. Help me!" She hissed, struggling a little harder when the two girls realized she was attempting to escape and squeezed tighter.

Chuckling he walked over and plucked Sonya from where she clung to Niki's shoulders and handed her off to Sesshomaru who walked up. Turning his attention to Kagome, he raised an eyebrow when she cast a narrow-eyed glare at him from where she held Niki around her middle.

"Let the girl go, Miko. She can hardly breathe." Touga glanced over to where Inuyasha stood and gestured with his head to grab the miko before she cracked one of Niki's ribs with her overenthusiastic hug.

Once free, Niki backed up a couple steps and straightened her shirt then turned her attention to Touga, a grateful smile flashing at him when she caught his eye.

"Well then, despite the fact I might have a cracked rib and a dislocated shoulder. I'm in good shape." She started, earning two sheepish smiles when she spoke. "A bit of a headache but that's expected really. Now that's all done and over with, when are we leaving?"

Sharing a look with each other, the pack frowned slightly in confusion before deciding to let the situation go for now. It was obvious Niki wasn't ready to talk about anything yet, and they wouldn't force the situation. Obviously something was bothering her and she just didn't want to say anything about it.

Turning away, they began gathering up various things they had set up, packing them away and preparing to leave. While they were busy with that, Niki went over and knocked on the hut's door, smiling slightly at the witch when she opened it to look up at her.

"I just wanted to say thank you." Niki murmured softly, earning a nod and smile from the witch as she opened the door wider so the girl could reach down and hug the older woman tightly.

"Did you learn where you've come from?" The witch whispered back just as softly, green eyes locked onto the golden ones of Touga from where he stood staring at the two of them with a small frown pulling at his lips.

"Yeah, and it's gonna be a difficult thing to explain much less get back there." Niki whispered back before pulling away and straightening up with a weak laugh. "Either way, it's been great, more than I could ever tell you." With a sincere smile and bow, she turned and joined the pack where they waited at the edge of the path heading out of the glade. "Thank you again."

Raising one hand up in the air, the witch watched the group of mismatched companions leave her sanctuary, silence descending in the glade once they were out of sight once more. "Ah... It's so quiet here now..." Sighing under her breath, she turned and disappeared back into the hut to prepare herself to move once more like she had planed to days ago.

* * *

Swearing under her breath, Niki shook her foot out for the nth time since they started their decent from the top of the mountain. It had snowed lower down while they had been camping in the magically protected glade and apparently it didn't stop of any period of time either. The snow came up to her knees without being in drifts and only wearing a pair of worn down sneakers, her feet were wet and cold within minutes.

She really wasn't cold herself, the air was warm enough to keep from freezing her and hardly a breeze blew. But the snow slowly soaking through her pants and shoes was another thing altogether.

Kagome had given up walking through it not too long after they started making their way through the deeper stuff, opting to ride of Kirara with Sango and Shippo instead. Sonya was having more fun in the snow than a child would, throwing snowballs at the back of Inuyasha's head then acting innocent when he whirled around and glared at her. So there she was, stuck with the demons (plus one monk), trudging through knee deep snow and lagging behind everyone else.

Looking up from her buried feet yet again, she noted the marked distance between her and Touga who trailed behind the other four way ahead of them. _'Damn, I'm falling behind.'_ Grumbling under her breath, she tried to pick up the pace, raising her feet higher up when she stepped in an attempt to move faster.

It really wasn't fair she was the only American there, yet everyone was taller than her besides the kid. Sonya didn't count considering they were exactly the same height. Even Kagome was taller than her by at least two inches, maybe one and a half without shoes. "This sucks."

"Might I ask why you continue to mumble under your breath? At the beginning of our journey, you had claimed to enjoy cold weather, yet here you are cursing it." Touga's amused voice broke through Niki's frustrated thoughts and earned a low growl from the woman as she stomped through the snow with more force than necessary.

"I'm not complaining about the cold or snow. It's my height I'm mumbling and cursing about. Now if you don't mind..." She waved a hand idly, indicating for him to walk away, which he chose to ignore and continued to walk beside her instead. Watching her struggle with the snow as it steadily grew deeper with nearly every step they took, Touga forced back a chuckle that threatened to break free. Her obvious frustration floating around her small frame like a cloud as she stomped her feet violently.

"My feet are frozen. I can't even feel if I'm wiggling my toes or not." She finally stated, breaking the silence between them and making the Inu look down with a furrowed brow. Watching her closely, he noted her pinched frown and how now and again she would shake one of her feet idly, attempting to dislodge the snow and water inside her shoes.

Without a word, he scooped her up in his arms and continued forward, ignoring Niki's shocked yelp and following demands to be put down immediately. "If you continue to expose your feet to such conditions, they will be cut off." He warned, leveling a stern gaze at her as she struggled in his arms. Hearing this, Niki fell silent and stilled her flailing. "Frostbite. It's called frostbite. And for the most part, only the tips of my toes would have been affected by the time we set up camp down on the ground again later today. Warm them up by the fire and treat them with even temperature water, they'd have been perfectly fine by morning."

Huffing under her breath, Niki folded her arms and looked away from his inquisitive gaze. "I know a lot of random crap. My friends used to call me the fount of useless knowledge."

Raising his eyebrows, Touga nodded silently and turned his attention forward again, catching sight of Inuyasha as he turned back around himself, pretending not to have been listening while he trudged through the snow without complaint. It was the first bit of information about herself she offered voluntarily without being prodded or asked to.

Not what he was expecting, but he supposed it was a start at least.

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	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

 **Welp here's the next chapter you've all been waiting for~ I'm so sorry it took this long to write and post, but the few of you that follow my facebook page know exactly why, at least a little bit, it took me so long. I've had a lot on my mind and plate and it just was basically me writing a paragraph or two at a time before having to jump and do something else.**

 **But I finally managed to finish it today, thankfully, A whopping 3k+ words to boot (Almost 4k). Not as long as I had hoped, but hopefully it'll be enough to pacify you until I manage to write up the next chapter.**

 **Anyway, I don't have much to say anymore, so I'm just gonna leave this here and let you all read.**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

 **~ * ~ REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW ~ * ~**

* * *

Hours later, they made it back to the bottom and began to set camp up in a small, hallowed out area against the cliff. Too shallow to be a cave, but deep enough for them to sleep in out of the wind.

After convincing the increasingly confusing Touga to set her back down, Niki helped Kagome gather wood for a fire while Sango and Sonya set up the inside of the hallow, the men... Well they claimed to be scouting out the area, but Niki had the sneaking suspicion that they were really out there having a secret man meeting. Talking about man things, like... Women... And flexing whatever it is they flex.

"We could have made the guys do this." Niki piped up as she and Kagome stacked the wood near the fire. Kagome laughed lightly and straightened up, rotating one shoulder then the other with a small sigh of relief. "If we let them set up camp, we wouldn't have a camp." Sonya walked over and used Kagome as a support to lean against.

"True, I can't really trust Inuyasha to set the camp up, last time I did that we had a huge stack of wood but no fire and no place to sleep." Kagome added dryly, earning twin laughs from Sonya and Niki. "How much you want to bet they really aren't 'patrolling' the area?" Sonya smirked, nudging Kaogme in the ribs and received a jab for it.

"I figured they were off talking somewhere to be honest." Niki agreed, running a hand through her hair while she lapsed into silence, deep in thought. "Touga looked like he had a lot on his mind when we left."

Hearing this, Sonya shared a sly smile with Sango and Kagome and the three of them surrounded the unsuspecting woman effectively cutting off any escape. "Speaking of Touga, the two of you seem to be _awfully_ close." Sonya started, learning into Niki's face, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Anything to say about that?"

Niki blinked at her mirror image then quirked an eyebrow at the insinuation. "Nothing, he's the one that attached himself to me. I can't exactly stop a six foot whatever dog demon that most likely has about two hundred pounds on me and could probably uproot a tree without batting an eye, now can I?"

Pursing her lips slightly, Kagome, Sonya and Sango all shared an understanding look. "True enough, either way, it seems he's rather... Interested, if you will, in you." Sonya continued, making Niki splutter slightly and try to back away from the wolf, hands raised in defense. "I don't think so! Look at me! I'm hardly the catch of the day, if you know what I mean. I'm a puzzle and he can't figure me out, that's all. I mean, Dog demons are notorious when it comes to their curiosity, aren't they? Well I'm probably the biggest, most curious thing he's seen in ages and he just wants to know what makes me tick, that's all."

"Oh, he _definitely_ wants to know what makes you... Tick." Sonya mumbled under her breath, making Sango and Kagome both, who had caught what she said, turn several shades of red and choke on air once they understood just what she said.

Niki, hearing this, let out a gusty sigh and turned away from the triad of troublemakers and shook her head. "I hardly thing now is the time to talk about that. It'll never happen, just leave the subject alone and drop it." Sonya blinked at the sharp tone in her voice and went to reply only to have Kagome stop her with a hand on her shoulder. Glancing over at the miko, she saw her head shake slightly and let out a low breath. "Alright, alright."

With the small camp now in a somber mood, they finished setting up then settled down to wait the men to finish their so-called 'patrol' of the area.

* * *

With a small flare of his aura, Touga once more called his sons, both of them, to where he stood, a good quarter of a mile away from where they had set up camp, and waited patiently. Within seconds, Sesshomaru made his presence known just before stepping through the trees, followed closely by Inuyasha, who wore a sour look on his face.

Ignoring his youngest's poor attitude at the moment, Touga turned to Sesshomaru and sized him up quietly, contemplating just how to broach the subject of his mating with Sonya before being interrupted by Sesshomaru himself. "I already know what you wish to speak of, Father." He narrowed his eyes slightly at his sire while he spoke. "And I do not wish to speak of the subject."

"You know it will come up with her eventually." Touga raised an eyebrow idly, seemingly unconcerned with Sesshomaru's rare display of displeasure. "I simply want to know how you plan on explaining how exactly you slept with Kagura while at the same time, _not_ sleeping with her? You saw the signs yet refused to believe in them, blinded by your new mating. I assume she will be... Upset." He lifted the corner of his lip in a semblance of a smirk when his son growled lowly at him. "Do not bother growling at me, boy. Or I will show you why I am known as Alpha."

Choosing to stay out of a confrontation with his formidable sire, Sesshomaru fell silent and simply looked away, dismissing the topic completely to Touga's amusement. Shaking his head lightly, he turned to Inuyasha next, eyeing him for a moment then leaned against the tree behind him. "Do you still feel uncomfortable around our new pack-mate?"

"Keh." Inuyasha snorted lightly, looking away from his father as well before glancing over at Sesshomaru and noted the slight stiffness in his posture. "She ain't a pack-mate. Once we get back to Edo, we're dropping her off-" A low growl cut him off and made the hanyou look over at his father with a small ounce of surprise at the small gleam of anger in his eyes. "We will _not_ be leaving her behind."

"What! She isn't even supposed to be with us, the only reason she came along was because Kagome insisted on helping her get her memories back! Well, she's got them back now and she can go home where she belongs!" Inuyasha argued, ignoring the small warning bells going off in his head as he stood toe to toe with his own father, each growling in anger at the other's words.

"You will listen to me, _pup."_ Touga managed to growl out between clenched teeth. "She will stay with us, and that is the final decision." Straightening up from his standoff with Inuyasha, he tossed an irritated glance at Sesshomaru before vanishing into the trees, easily ignoring Inuyasha in his anger as he passed him by.

"What makes him think he can do that!" Inuyasha snapped into the air, eyes narrowed in the direction his father vanished in, forgetting completely Sesshomaru still stood behind him until said demon made a scoffing sound. "Father is the Alpha, weather you like it or not, half breed. And his word is law to us and the pack. I do not see his interest in the human either, but until he says otherwise, we will simply go along with his plans." Turning away from his fuming brother, he too stalked into the trees, intent on finding Sonya so he could drag her away and speak in private on the same matter his father had brought up.

Weather he wanted to admit it or not, he was right and it was best to talk about the issue before his mate brought it to him herself. Waiting would only give her time to become bitter and he refused to let that happen. His mistake, and he _could_ admit to that even with a sick feeling his his stomach, was one he needed to fix before it became too much to fix.

* * *

Letting out a low sigh, Niki watched Kagome heat up water for tea and propped her chin up in her hands, eyes gazing into her past rather than what was in front of her. The only thing on her mind at the moment, however, was the fact that Kagome had told her she had no hot dogs at all to roast over the fire. Not even one marshmallow either! How could anyone camp without either of those things? It's like... Law you had at least one of the items before you set out to go camping, if there's going to be a fire, there has to be either hot dogs or marshmallows, if not both.

Letting out another sigh, she ignored the confused glances from her companions and closed her own eyes, simply imagining she had at least _one_ hot dog to roast with. Now that would make her feel more at home than ramen or... Roasted rabbit. Now, not that she couldn't hunt, trap and skin her own food, she'd taken a survival course at the nearby Guard station in her town, not to mention she read enough books to be at home in the wild. And, not to boast, but she was pretty handy at projectile weapons and staffs. She could throw a knife and just barely miss the center of a target, her archery wasn't too shabby either if the bow was a large one instead of a small one, she never could aim properly with a small bow, it shook too much for her taste.

Then on top of all that, they didn't even _act_ like they were camping, they simply sat around, ate, talked for a bit then went to bed. None of them really did anything fun to be honest, and it was boring her out of her skull. Maybe if she had something to do, a knife to carve with would be fun, she could make herself a fishing pole with one of the limbs near the fire and some thread from Kagome's first aid kit... The hook would be tricky but making one out of pine needles wasn't too hard when she really thought about it, she'd just have to be careful...

Someone clearing their throat brought Niki from her thoughts and made her blink up at Touga who stood right beside her, an amused expression on his face as he stared down at her. "What could you want now, 'o mighty one?" She sniffed, turning away from him and stared at the fire in front of her with another heartfelt sigh. "What could you be thinking about that has you so upset?" Touga asked idly, sitting beside her as he turned his attentions away from the camp and focused entirely on the woman beside him.

"I miss roasting hot dogs." She murmured without thinking, completely missing the startled looks from several members of the pack, the only ones not surprised being Kagome and Sonya as they simply shook their heads with small smiles on their faces.

"You... Roast... _Dogs?"_ Touga managed to get out past the started state he was in, earning a surprised look from Niki as she glanced over at him. "What? No, what's wrong with you. It's a food, it's just called a hot dog because in Chicago, they sold them that way. It was easy to say and basically when first made, hot dogs were meant to be a dog treat." Rolling her eyes lightly at his narrowed eyes, she turned away and closed her own eyes. "They're basically the throwaway meats from other foods, meat that most people wouldn't eat, they mash it all together and sell them to people that enjoy the bottom of the barrel. I happen to be one of those people."

"I didn't know they were meant to be a dog treat." Sonya finally piped up, making Niki flash a wry grin in her direction. "Don't ask me how I know it, I probably read it somewhere and filed the information away. I do things like that, words are easy to remember when read, you have two forms to remember it by. The word you say in your head, as well as the visual you take in while reading it. When a word is said, all you have to go by is the sound and the vague image of whoever said it." Shrugging her shoulders, she brushed her ever growing hair back over her shoulders with a huff.

"Anyways, I already told you, I know a little bit about everything, so it shouldn't be _that_ surprising I know random stuff like that. However..." She paused, a small grimace crossed her face at the thought. "I cannot for the life of me, do math besides the basics. I _despise_ math with a passion, you could ask me how each of the planets in our solar system came into orbit around our sun and I could tell you. But ask me to solve an algebraic equation and I'm lost. It's kinda pathetic really." Snorting under her breath, she pointedly ignored the soft laugh from both Kagome and Sonya by tipping her nose up and away from them in a huff.

"Laugh all you want, but I'm pretty sure you have _no_ idea how a prism refracts light the way it does, so go stew in that for a while." sticking her tongue out at the now giggling women she shook her head and cracked a small grin at their antics, completely missing the absolutely confused expressions from the others around the fire as she continued playfully breading the two across from her, earning more laughter for her efforts as they dissolved into helpless piles of mirth.

Sharing a look with his oldest, Touga frowned slightly, trying to make sense of what Niki was saying. Half of the words she said made no sense to him. Algebraic, solar system, _prism?_ They seemed to be important the way she spoke of them, but he couldn't think of any subject he was taught as a growing pup that brought any of those words up. It was obvious she was well versed in knowledge, but to be so well versed to know words and subjects he didn't was something he never thought of.

Oh sure, he knew of Kagome's schooling and how well taught the people of her time were, as well as Sonya, but neither of them seemed to be as... Competent as Niki was when she spoke, she was absolutely certain of what she said and seemed to be sure it was correct, and from the other two's reactions, it seemed she was right after all. Maths he knew and understood, when asking about it at one point, Kagome had taken out one of her school books and showed him. he couldn't solve any of the problems written there, but he knew what it was. He was taught sums by his own sire when teaching him how to care for the people of the west. Each village received a small sum each year from him to grow what they needed and to buy cattle for the winter, and in turn they gave a portion back to his sire of their food so he could stock the kitchens in the Shiro for their winter as well.

But he never knew of the solar system, planets, prisms even. He knew of the sun, what creature that lived didn't? But to think there might be other things out there with the sun was staggering to find out, and it only fed his curiosity to know and understand this small slip of a woman. Her mind was one he knew he would never come across again in hundreds of years, and he was determined to pick her mind until he was finally satisfied. However, with how often she spoke of odd things, it was apparent he wouldn't hear all of what she knows if she were to sit down with him and simply talk for years. She would grow old and die before he knew all she did and that alone would be a waste.

Turning his gaze back down beside him where Niki sat, still teasing and laughing with the other two of her time, he frowned slightly in thought. It would simply be unsettling for her to die anyhow, all her knowledge could help many people, not to mention he had grown accustomed to her more unusual traits. It just wouldn't do, now if he could get past both of his son's seemingly dislike of her, he could broach the subject. But until then, he'd simply have to come up with excuses to keep her around.

* * *

Sitting up and settling her arms across her knees, Niki set her chin on them and simply sat there in the darkness while the others slept. Well... Not all of them, she knew for a fact, actually, she was a little surprised Touga hadn't come poking his nose in her business yet, asking why she wasn't sleeping. At that thought, she turned and looked around suspiciously, trying to spot said demon only to find he wasn't even there. The only one, it seemed was Inuyasha and he was propped against a tree with Kagome's head on his lap while he kept watch.

Ignoring him, she got to her feet and brushed the dirt from her pants then made her way towards the trees, heading for the small creek that ran through them not too far from the camp. Without a word from the hanyou, she stepped under the shadows and headed deeper in, simply content to be alone with the quiet and her thoughts for the first time since their visit with the witch.

Sure, she said she'd gotten her memories back. It wasn't _really_ a lie, but there _were_ pieces missing, small bits here and there and it bothered her more than anything at this point. It was frustrating to think back only to find a blank spot in her memory or even a whole area that was black when she knows something should be there. Gritting her teeth, she let out an irritated hiss of frustration and plopped down on the soft grass beside the water, hands already busy yanking her shoes and socks off so she could soak her feet in the slow moving creek.

Leaning back on her hands, Niki tipped her head back, looking up at the moon just barely peeking through the trees above her and smiled softly. One thing was certain, she loved the moon and the stars both. At least you couldn't get a moon burn or star burn at night, and with her skin, it was a blessing. A soft, rueful laugh broke through her lips as she thought back to the year she had somehow managed to get a _sunburn_ in the _winter._ Only she could manage that one and she could even remember her mother's astonishment when she found out, it wasn't exactly hard to miss the red on her nose and cheeks.

Of course most people thought it was windburn, and she let them, it was easier to explain than an actual sunburn at the time. letting out a low breath, Niki relaxed once more, letting her mind wander over newly restored memories with curiosity. One other thing she found out, she wasn't exactly from Kagome's or Sonya's time. No much farther ahead in fact, if anything the both of them were older than her if she really thought about it. But it was confusing to explain to anyone that didn't travel in time so she kept quiet about it, at least until the subject came up, then she'd try to let them figure it out.

But the one thing that bothered her the most? The one subject she couldn't grasp no matter how hard she tried, was what she wrote about. Oh, she knew she was a writer of some sort, she loved words and languages so it wasn't too hard to believe, but if she tried to think about what she wrote, she came up blank each and every time. Nothing, just a empty space she couldn't put any information in at all. She could remember sitting down at her computer and writing, that was easy, but she couldn't even recall a single word she typed. _Not one._

Growling under her breath, Niki sat up again and settled her arms on her knees once more to lay her cheek on, eyes staring unseeingly ahead as she pondered over what it could mean. She remembered from somewhere that a particularly disturbing bit of information could be blocked or even erased from someone's memory if it was bad enough to cause mental problems. But she couldn't imagine what could be disturbing about what she wrote that she'd make herself forget it. So the only other option was the information just either wasn't important at the time or she just didn't think she should remember it at all. Something about it wasn't right and it was obvious her own mind seemed to think it was a bad idea to even remember it.

And the more she tried to remember, she knew the more it would slip away. A soft sigh left her lips as she shook her head lightly. It was just best to leave it alone at the moment, eventually it'll come back when her mind seems to deem it ready for her to know. And until then, she'd just have to be patient.

"I hate being patient. It sucks and takes forever for _anything_ to happen." Gritting her teeth, she let out another little growl and got to her feet, intent on heading back to the camp before anyone decided to sound the alarm. Picking up her shoes and socks in one hand, she turned and headed back through the trees, determined to force herself to sleep, even if she had to ask Inuyasha to knock her out just so she could. As she disappeared into the shadows once more, she missed the glimmer of silver hair as Touga backed away from the area and circled around so he wouldn't be seen when he returned.

Just from that one sentence she uttered, Niki had given him enough information to realize she missed something in her memories still. It was obvious it frustrated her as well, and what bothered him, was the witch assured she would regain everything once she woke up. So why would she continue to miss any memories unless she was blocking them herself, even without knowing she was doing so?

A sparkling fang glimmered in the moonlight as he flashed a predatory smile to no one at all. His kind were naturally curious and wouldn't let up until it was sated, and with the way things were going with this particular female, he would be busy enough for several lifetimes, and that alone sated him, even without any answers at all.

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	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

 **And another one for you guys~ FYI there's another show's reference in this one and anyone who guesses it first get's honorable mentions in the Author's note at the start of Chapter Sixteen!**

 **Anyway, things are gonna heat up a bit here in the next few chapters, to keep an eye out for updates, I'll be working on it more at this point and (barring any distractions or anything else like it) I'll be able to finish the next three chapters in the next few days.**

 **Not much else to say so just gonna get on with the story now.**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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"We should just go through it. It's not like we've done anything wrong."

"Keh, we're going around and that's final."

"Inuyasha..."

"Here it comes..."

"What is it now, Kagome?"

 _"Sit!"_

Kagome's voice rang through the cold morning air, followed by a large thudding sound and a muffled groan issued by a certain hanyou plowed into the dirt as said Miko stalked off towards the very village they were arguing about. After sharing a look or two and lifting their shoulders in a shrug, Sango, Miroku, Sonya and Shippo all followed after her, leaving Inuyasha's father and half-brother behind along with Niki who was attempting to hold in the explosive burst of laughter that threatened to slip out once she saw him face plant into the frostbitten ground.

Pressing her hand harder against her mouth, Niki turned away and stumbled after the group moving ahead of them, intent on getting away from the source of her amusement before she couldn't hold it in any longer. However with the tears in her eyes and already shoddy balance, she somehow managed to find the _one_ rock sitting in the middle of the path and promptly tripped over it and skidded across the ground.

Seeing this, Touga was at her side within seconds, ignoring the sharp glance his oldest son sent his way as he held out a hand to the woman grumbling under her breath. "I swear, only I would be the one to find that stupid rock." Accepting Touga's offer of help, she stood up and brushed the dirt from her pants before blinking her eyes a couple times and frowned at the fuzzy nature everything was.

Reaching up, she went to adjust her glasses only to pinch the air above her nose instead. Eyes widening in horror, she dropped back to her knees and frantically ran her hands over the ground in an attempt to find them. "Shit, shit shit _shit."_

Frowning at her unusual behavior, Touga crouched down beside her and pinched his eyebrows together. "What is it?"

 **"My glasses. I lost my glasses! I can't see without them!"*** Niki snapped, barely turning her head in his direction before focusing back on what she was doing. Shuffling over to the side, she growled under her breath while continuing her search. "Where are they?"

 **(* Bonus points and a cookie for anyone who gets the reference.)**

Walking up beside them, Sesshomaru paused for a moment, the barest shine of amusement flickering in his eye before dying out when his father shot a sharp look up at him. Letting a silent sigh pass between his lips, he leaned over and plucked the exact object she was looking for from the grass and dangled them in front of Niki's face by the ear peace.

Staring for a second, Niki couldn't quite comprehend what she was looking at before an ecstatic smile crossed her face and she grabbed them from Sesshomaru with a small squeal of happiness. _"Thank_ you! I have no idea what I was going to do if I couldn't find them. I'd go everywhere squinting like an idiot without my glasses." Fixing them properly on her nose after wiping the glass clean, she tossed a grin at Sesshomaru's back as he walked away.

"Guess he isn't too bad then." She mumbled with a shake of the head and got back to her feet with a small smile on her face. Shooting a glance over at Inuyasha who was just getting to his feet, she laughed under her breath and turned around to follow Sesshomaru and Touga who were trailing along behind the rest of the pack heading into the village ahead of them. Seemed one of them wasn't too adverse to her anymore anyway.

* * *

Looking around yet again, Niki leaned over towards Sonya with a frown. "You notice the stares too, right? It's not just me?"

"Probably because we're a weird pack. I mean think about it from the outside for a moment. Demons, a half demon, a human plus a monk, miko and a slayer all wandering around together? Come on, we're the set up for either a really bad joke or a _hilarious_ sitcom." Sonya whispered back, snickering under her breath when Kagome giggled softly beside her at what she said.

Laughing under her breath, Niki straightened up and ran a hand through her hair idly, brushing her bangs away from her face as they headed towards the headman's home, much to Touga's encouragement. After defeating Naraku and returning Sonya to her body, he was on the hunt for a new place to reside over, and the best way to find an unfit ruler? Ask the ones below him if there was anything wrong. With Sesshomaru now lord of the Western Lands, he had no place to be any longer, and no one could blame him for looking around.

Stopping outside the gates, they settled in to wait for the headman to make an appearance so they could talk. Taking the cue, Niki plopped down on the ground with a heavy sigh, even in the cooler air of fall, she was working up a sweat from lugging around a bag all day, it wasn't easy on the shoulders when it was full of camping gear. It seemed Kagome had added to their inventory of items by buying a camping stove for when it wasn't safe to light a fire as well as three tents for when the weather was too bad to sleep out in the open and there wasn't a village nearby to camp in.

 _'Now that I think of it...'_ Niki slit her eyes open and studied Sesshomaru and Sonya who were simply content to sit beside each other in silence while watching the rest of the pack mill around. _'How come they're still with us? I mean... He is a Lord, doesn't he have... Lordly things to be doing? What is he gaining by sticking around with us? I mean not that I'm complaining or anything, it's still a bit confusing...'_

Pulling the corners of her lips down in a small frown, she closed her eyes again and settled her head back against the outlying wall of the shiro while she waited, deep in thought over several things at the moment. One of them being how the hell she was going to get home when the well wasn't open to her. It's been the one thing on her mind when there wasn't anything else to occupy it. She lived in 2015 for christ's sake and in America for that matter. Just _how_ was she gonna get back home? Call the Doctor? Hell, it wasn't too impossible to think about considering Demons existed in this time, why not the Doctor? He's probably milling about somewhere out there, now how to get a hold of him was the problem...

"Niki?" Opening one eye, Niki looked up at Kagome in question as the miko held out a water bottle with a small smile on her face. Returning the smile, she took the bottle and opened the top so she could take a drink before setting it aside as Kagome sat beside her. "So, how long do you figure it'll take Mr. Important to get out here?"

Kagome heaved a small sigh and shook her head. "I don't know, he's probably making us wait because he wants to see just how important our question is. It's happened before when we were travelling around looking for Naraku. When we'd end up in a town for Miroku to do his thing, sometimes we'd wait an hour before the owner of the house would come outside to see what we wanted. It's a power thing."

"Ugh." Leaning her head back against the wall a little harder than necessary, she grimaced slightly at the dull throb of pain she received for the effort. "I'll go insane if I have to wait that long. If I start acting goofy, feel free to tie me up and toss me in a corner somewhere, 'kay?"

Kagome laughed at that and shook her head then leaned it back against the wall herself and closed her own eyes while she waited. Hopefully it wouldn't be that long, it was cold and from the looks of things, it would be even colder tonight, the sun was already beginning to make it's way towards the horizon, so at best, they had three hours before it set, leaving them in the dark once more.

* * *

"Open the gates." The sound of an authoritative voice brought the pack from their stupor and thoughts as the doors began to open, prompting them to get to their feet and gather their things back up before the headman made his appearance.

"About damn time." Sonya and Niki echoed under their breaths, much to Touga's everlasting amusement. For the past half hour while they waited, they've been saying nearly the same things about waiting and huffy headmen making them sit around like idiots. It only strengthened the idea they were somehow related, almost sisters. In fact, if Sonya had no tails, they could be mistaken as twins easily. And for one reason or another, it tickled something in Touga to no end to see them acting so similar.

Dusting off her pants for the thousandth time that day, Niki straightened her glasses and pulled her annoying hair back into a ponytail and out of her face with a scowl. The wind had begun to kick up just a few minutes ago and it just loved to toss her hair into her face, eyes nose and mouth each time she pushed it away. Straightening her clothes, she hefted the bag on her shoulders higher and turned towards the gates as the headman stepped outside to study them all with a curious eye.

"I was notified you sought my attentions." He finally stated, making Niki snort and mumble under her breath something about snooty men and their self-righteousness. Ignoring this, Touga stepped forward, silently enjoying the way the man seemed to shrink into himself just the slightest bit once he fully saw who he was and smiled easily at him. "Information. That is what I need. However, my pack-" Inuyasha snorted, which he simply ignored. "And I have been waiting in the cold and wish to warm up."

Leaving the option open, he fell silent, sizing up the human male in front of him silently until the headman nodded his head jerkily and turned around to lead them inside his shiro quickly. Eager to get out of the wind himself, as well as away from the prying eyes of the villagers that had begun to mill around.

"Make yourselves at home, the evening meal will be served shortly, please. Join me." He motioned at the open seating area as the pack piled into the room, Niki craning her neck around in awe before spotting a vase sitting on a stand just in the corner. Dropping the bag to the floor, she ignored the loud thunk it made and hurried over to the stand, eyes shining in amazement as she sized up the piece in front of her. "Is this made by **Ri Sampei***?" She finally asked, turning to look over her shoulder at the headman as he made his way over to where she was, obvious pride plastered over his face at her attentions to his prize possession.

"You would be correct, it takes a fine eye to see such a thing. Where did you learn this?" He asked curiously, a small smile making it's way onto his face as he studied the woman in front of him. "Ah, well I just learn things from whatever, hear something or whatnot." Niki laughed awkwardly, waving a hand in the air before turning away from him to study the vase once more. "I have to say though, this is beautiful..."

Nodding his head quietly, the headman simply studied her a moment longer before turning to the others in the room and gesturing for them to seat themselves and clapped his hand for the meals to be brought in. "Come, we will eat, then talk of things you have on your minds, yes?"

Turning away from her inspection of the vase reluctantly, Niki walked over to join the others, idly noticing Touga settled himself down beside her, closer than was necessary but brushed it off as she stared at the food set down in front of her with a watering mouth. _'Oh mi goodness... Something that isn't roasted rabbit, fish or noodles. I'm in heaven._ ' With a happy sigh, she picked up her chopsticks and dug in with the rest of the pack, eager to finally eat something that wasn't thrown together at the last minute.

Focused completely on the food, Niki missed the sharp glare Touga sent at the headman, who also missed it, and settled himself closer to her as said headman kept his eyes on her while she ate. It was obvious he was impressed with her knowledge already, after only one conversation at that, and she caught his interest in a way that ruffled his fur, so to speak.

He wouldn't readily admit it out loud yet, but he had settled his eyes on her as well, and would not allow anyone, human _or_ demon, get in his way of perusing her. Growling to himself, he turned back to the food in front of him, eating a few bites of it as to not offend their host before setting his chopsticks aside along with Sesshomaru who had done the same. Sonya...

He smiled wryly at the wolf's perusal of the dinner, her chopsticks not pausing for a second as she _-ahem-_ wolfed down her food with enjoyment. Passing his eye over to his youngest son, he noted with amusement he was eating in the same fashion as her, it was no wonder they locked horns as often as they did, they were simply too much alike in some ways to get along very well or for very long.

Turning his attention back to the pack as a whole, he watched idly as they steadily made their ways through the meal at a proper pace and set their chopsticks down one by one once they were finished. Sonya and Inuyasha... Weren't ready to ' _throw in the towel'_ as Kagome would say.

With a happy sigh, Niki settled her chopsticks down on top of her bowl and leaned back with a smile on her face. Feeling full for once as she simply relaxed into the warmth of the home they were in as well as the food in her belly. "Now I could get used to this." She murmured, making Touga huff under his breath, glad the headman couldn't hear what she said.

Once the two battling to see who could eat the most had finally finished, Touga cleared his throat and brought attention back to himself. "As I am certain you had noticed," He cast a wry look in Sonya and Inuyasha's direction. "The food was greatly appreciated, but there are things I wish to discuss with you, headman."

The headman waved his hand idly, a smile on his face as he waited for the servants to retrieve the empty trays and dishes before speaking. "It is no problem, I assure you. Please, call me Aoi." A sharp gasp cut off anything he planned on saying next as Sonya seemed to freeze in place then stood up suddenly with a mumbled "Excuse me." and strode from the room. The rest of the pack, minus Niki and Touga, easily understanding her upset simply sent sympathetic looks in her direction as she disappeared out the door, followed closely by Sesshomaru intent on soothing her ragged nerves.

"Sorry about that..." Kagome murmured, making Aoi look over at her in question. "Did I offend her?"

"No, she had a... Brother by that name and he had died a few years ago." Kagome explained quietly, shooting another sad look at the door before shaking her head. "It's not your fault, she's just still upset is all."

Touga, finally understanding the problem set his own glance at the direction his son and Sonya disappeared in and frowned slightly before shaking his head and turning back to the headman. "She will settle down while her mate speaks to her."

"Ah, I see, so they are..."

"Yes." Narrowing his gaze at Aoi, Touga didn't miss the quick glance he sent in Niki's direction before getting to his feet and motioning for them to follow him. "Come, it is late, you will all be shown your rooms for the night, then we may speak of matters." Everyone shared quick looks then followed after him, curious that they didn't even have to ask for a place to stay before he offered as they walked down the halls of his home in silence.

* * *

 **(* Ri Sampei- Known as the 'Father of Porcelan' in the Momoyama period of Japan's history. I know the years are probably off for the time frame but he's the oldest name in pottery I could find. If someone knows someone farther back than that, please let me know so I can replace the name and fit it into the story better. -Information taken from gotheborg dot com.-)**

* * *

"Are you sure we can each have our own rooms? We can all sleep in two different ones..." Kagome asked for the third time as they left Sango and Kirara to settle into their own room and moved down to the next door. "Oh, it is no problem, dear Miko." Aoi chuckled lightly, waving a hand around idly to indicate the whole house. "I live alone aside from my servants, visitors, even strangers like yourselves, are welcome to sleep in comfort."

"Alone? Don't you have a family or something?" Niki piped up curiously, making Touga wish he could clap a hand over his face at her question. The woman had no sense of reality around her. The headman wouldn't have mentioned living alone if he didn't want them to be aware he was single. Most likely said for her benefit no doubt.

"Alas, no. I have not found a bride for myself. Leading a village and assuring each of the villagers are safe and healthy are my only concern at the moment. However it was a poor choice now that I find myself already so old and without a wife to share a family with." Shaking his head, Aoi opened the next door and gestured to Inuyasha, who wrapped his arm around Kagome's waist and stalked inside with a blushing miko and a sharp look at the headman before closing the door behind him.

"So it would seem the boy has finally decided." Touga murmured under his breath, eyes focused on the closed screen to the room with a small, amused smile on his face. It was about time, with how often they were dancing around each other, it was driving him to the edge of madness.

Before the night was over, he was certain both sons would be mated and finally settle down with their own women. He heaved a silent sigh and turned to follow Niki and Aoi as they made their way to the last rooms for them to settle in. "This one will be yours-" Aoi motioned to the shouji door on the right, then turned and offered a smile at Niki as he slid open the door on the left. "This will be yours."

Giving him an uncertain smile of her own, Niki stepped into the room and nearly gasped out loud at the beauty surrounding her. The walls had been painted and carved with scenery matching spring as cherry blossoms seemed to float around in a small storm that covered three of the walls, the fourth wall lead to another door that opened out into a small garden. "Oh..." Niki breathed, stepping out onto the small porch surrounding the garden.

Looking around, she realized only two other doors opened into the area, one being what she suspected was the dining room they had just eaten in, the other... She had no idea nor did she really want to think too much into just what room was connected to that door. Turning around to face Aoi, she blinked slightly then shook her head. "I can't take this room, everyone else got regular guest rooms, this one seems a bit more important."

Aoi chuckled, not realizing the rising ire of Touga as he took a couple steps into the room then stopped, looking around himself before settling his gaze back on Niki with a smile on his face. "It is no more important than any of the other rooms, I simply hoped you would realize the beauty of it like you had in the vase earlier."

Blinking, Niki smiled wryly and looked around the room once more. "I guess you could say that. Though this goes far beyond beauty and well into the _'I'm trying to impress you'_ stage." Her words brought Touga up short, making his thoughts on tearing into the human's hide come to a screeching halt. _'So she had realized.'_

Aoi paused himself then turned halfway towards her from his perusal of one of the paintings. "Aah... So I am found out."

"Look, don't get me wrong, I'm flattered and everything." Niki started, a hand waving around the room and garden. "But honestly, I really don't plan on marrying anyone. I'm not the kind of person to get married and settle down and have a family." She frowned suddenly and pinched her eyebrows together at the vague thought she couldn't catch then turned her attention back towards Aoi with a gentle smile. "I don't really want to disappoint you or anything, but wasting your time trying to... Woo me isn't going to work. I'm simply just not interested in settling down."

Walking over, she rested a hand on the headman's arm lightly then walked past back out into the hall where Touga still stood. "Sorry. I just don't want you wasting time is all. I'll be sleeping with Sango tonight." With a slight bow to both men, she turned and walked back to where the slayer's room was to see if she could sleep with her.

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	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

 **Annnnd here's another! This one was actually a LOT of fun to write. I've been dying to get Touga into a position to come out into the open about what he was thinking, and I thought 'hey, why not where everyone else can see it?' Oh come on, even you gotta admit it's the perfect set up.**

 **But I won't ruin the chapter with spoilers, so I'll keep quiet about what happens.**

 **Oh and another thing, with how 'fearless' Niki seems to be and how 'okay' she is with well... Pretty much everything that happens, I decided to let slip one of my fears for amusement sakes. Trust me, you'll chuckle. It made me giggle while writing it.**

 **Finally, I would like to congratulate Cathy on her correct guess of Scooby Doo being referenced in the last chapter (BTW, I've been DYING to put that in here somewhere.). If some of you didn't get the reference, it's probably because either you're too young to even be reading this *cue glare* orrrr you live in a place where it's not really popular. So take your pick on the choice.**

 **Anyway, I think that's it for now, go enjoy the chapter, I mean it, get going!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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Once settled in with Sango in her room, she cast a wry look over all three women's faces who were staring at her expectantly. It was pretty easy to tell they wanted to know exactly why she turned down the room the headman had shown her considering none of them found anything wrong with their own.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Niki ran a hand over her face, somehow getting the distinct feeling she was part of some drama show and there were cameras zooming in on her to catch her expression. "It's like this." She began reluctantly before launching into the whole spiel of the Headman Aoi attempting to 'woo' her and gain her affections. However she did notice his _slightly_ less-than-subtle attempts and called him out on it before the situation got out of hand. The last thing she wanted or needed at the moment was to be woken up by expectant servants who wanted to get her ready for her own wedding she wasn't even aware of.

Letting out another sigh of irritation, she fell silent once more, letting her companions soak in the information. Then it started with Sonya attempting to hide a snort with a cough, followed by Kagome's light giggle, Sango's own chuckle. Her halfhearted glare only made their attempts at hiding their amusement fade completely away as they all simultaneously burst out into hysterical laughter, Sango- Even Sango!- and the other two were flat on their backs, clutching their stomachs as they practically screamed their laughter to the heavens.

"Oh shut _up!"_ Niki snapped, throwing one of the cushions at them only to earn another howl of laughter for it. "It's not like I _wanted_ him to flirt with me, I mean seriously, I may be dense but the guy was putting off waves of this obvious 'I'm so great, look at me and my money' vibes." She wiggled her fingers in the air in an attempt to mimic said 'waves' and made the other girls begin their laughter anew.

"Shut up."

* * *

Still grumbling under her breath, Niki slowly made her way around the garden she managed to find after waking up from yet another fitful sleep. It wasn't as beautiful as the other garden was, but still rather pretty and calming. Taking a deep breath in, she savored the scent of ripening apples and late blooming lilies before letting it out and allowing a small smile cross her features.

Tipping her head back, she stopped her prowling and simply stared up at the moon, ignoring the way her snake had wiggled it's way into the front of her shirt, knowing full well it must be cold judging from the slightly brisk wind washing over her frame.

Reaching up, she brushed her hair from her face, a small grimace flickering on her expression before being smoothed back out once more. She needed a haircut, long hair was simply a hassle, especially in a time where hair was tied back with cloth or leather and for her life she never could make a proper bow with anything. Her shoes would come untied at the slightest thing unless she double knotted them.

 _'Speaking of...'_ She glanced down at her new footwear and frowned at the dragging lace she spotted coming from her right shoe. Kagome had just brought them back with her through the well last time she went through, and much to Niki's surprise had presented them to her with a wide grin on her face.

Not one to say no to a gift, much less one she really did need, she'd accepted them then promptly glomped the poor woman much to Sonya's amusement and Inuyasha's irritation. Granted, most of the wolf's amusement was more to the fact that Inuyasha was irritated, still worth it.

Kneeling down, she fiddled with the lace a bit before managing to make a half respectable bow and nodded to herself with satisfaction.

"A strange sight to see someone such as yourself kneeling in the dirt." Closing her eyes, Niki shook her head and smiled wryly before looking up at Touga who was standing a few feet away from her, clear amusement in his amber eyes.

"Yeah well, not much I can help with that. Of course I could always ask that nice Headman, what was his name... Hmmm... Oh yes, Aoi, to have a servant do it for me." She slanted a sly smile at Touga, feeling the irritation seemingly coming off of him in waves at the mere mention of the man. "But you'd have no reason to be upset over that, would you?"

Blinking at that, Touga reigned in his frustration and narrowed his eyes slightly at her wide smile. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she knew of his sudden interest in her, but he was careful to keep that portion of his thoughts carefully hidden. Or so he had thought as her grin widened into a knowing smile before she brushed past him, purposely pushing her shoulder against his arm as she walked by. "Come on, you can join me." Niki tossed over her shoulder at him before turning down yet another path cut through the garden.

Pulling himself from his thoughts, Touga shook himself slightly and turned to follow her through the darkened garden, idly noting several of the headman's servants and guards keeping a close eye on them. _'Good.'_ He had to bite back the feral smile threatening to break across his face at the thought. _'It would be best for him to know who else garners interest in her.'_ Rumbling to himself in a satisfied manner, he stepped closer to her so their arms barely brushed while they walked.

Tossing a quick look up at him, Niki lifted one eyebrow idly in question. When it didn't seem he wasn't going to answer her unasked question, she turned away and rolled her eyes slightly. _'Men.'_

Keeping the silence for the moment, Touga simply allowed his senses to wander through the area, picking up on just how many eyes the headman had set on the woman beside him and where they were hiding at the moment. The number he was able to gather merely surprised him mildly, not too surprised he had people watching the woman, but slightly startled just how many he had. If he didn't know any better, Touga would say the man had nearly every single servant and guard keeping an eye on Niki as she paused to study a purple flower with idle interest.

Stopping beside her, he cast a warning glance at the guard just a few feet away, making the man shift backwards away from his glare. "Touga."

Looking down at Niki, he caught her amused/frustrated expression as she shook her head and motioned for him to follow her. Interestingly enough, he noted, she drew him to a corner of the garden where there seemed to be less eyes to see them and turned to face him, hands settling themselves on her hips. "Look, not like I don't appreciate your... Subtle attempt at keeping me safe, I'm pretty sure no one here is going to hurt me." She started, making his brows rise in surprise.

"And furthermore, don't simply assume that just because I'm a female and from the future I have no idea how to defend myself. I'm not going to make any prideful boasts but I know how to fend someone off long enough for either you or any one else in the pack to show up and get them away from me." Raising a finger in the air, she pointed it at him with narrowed eyes, ignoring his confused expression for the moment. "And yes, I can feel them around me, kinda hard to miss. I'm not going so far as to say I have the same abilities as a Miko or Demon, but I can at least sense people and or things around me. Just enough to feel them and maybe some vague notion of what they're thinking or feeling. But that's all. So don't simply think I'm helpless."

Once she finally fell quiet, Touga blinked down at her pinched expression. Blinking again, he reached out and lowered her finger gently with his hand and took a step closer, noting with some trace of amusement that she tensed slightly before relaxing once again. "I never suspected you of being weak." He stated simply, eyes dropping down to the sleepy snake now poking it's head from her shirt to study him curiously then tucking itself back into warmth once more.

"However to learn you can sense other beings around you, however little you do, is surprising. Perhaps you carry miko abilities of your own that are simply unlocked?" He continued, musing out loud while studying her face once more as she stared up with a bemused expression. "That is not the point I wish to make-" He finally said with a small, wry smile on his face as he brushed his knuckle, albeit hesitantly, along her jaw, making Niki's eyes widen the slightest bit then narrow again. "Is I do not find you weak or unfitting in any fashion to be around me."

"I never said I was unfitt-"

He quirked an eyebrow lightly, making her fall silent again so he could continue. "You felt this, did you not? You cannot lie about something like that." He twitched his nose slightly to match the statement, making her grin a little bit. "I never thought... Little, of you." He frowned at the lack of proper wording then continued. "In fact, you are rather endearing to me."

Blinking slightly, Niki felt her cheeks heat up suddenly and backed away from his knuckle still resting on her chin and shook her head slightly. "Look, I'm flattered really-"

"Do not turn me down like you did that weak male." Touga cut her off, a low growl in his voice as he narrowed his eyes on her panicked form.

Gaping up at him, a small bit of anger sparked in her eyes before Niki straightened her spine. "Look here, Mr. I'm so mighty! I have every right to turn down anyone if I want to. You were standing just a few feet away when I told that headman why I wasn't interested, what makes you think you're any different. I thought you were just interested in being my damn _friend!"_

Now that brought Touga up short. Earlier he had been certain she knew of his intentions from the way she acted towards him when they met in the garden. However he must have been wrong, and in his assumptions, simply blurted out what he wanted from her before she was obviously ready to know. Wishing now, more than ever, that he could palm his face, he let out a quiet huff of anger at himself and backed a step away from her.

If he remembered correctly from what he heard of her conversation with the other women earlier, she had mentioned being 'dense'. Perhaps it is a term for people who are otherwise clueless about certain matters? It must be if she failed to notice his signs of interest were more romantic rather than being simply friendly.

And now he had acted like a pup and simply blurted out what he intended to do right to her only to be shot down in the same fashion as that mortal man! Gritting his teeth, he turned away from Niki, deep in in thought as he silently berated himself for what he had done. Never, in his thousand years of living, had he ever failed as spectacularly as he did in this moment. The only consolation he has was they were in a secluded area with no prying eyes or anywhere near where either of his sons were bedded down with their mates.

Hearing a shuffle from behind, Touga looked over his shoulder at a subdued Niki, a small grimace marring her features as she stopped just beside him, her own eyes pointed away from his form as she stopped moving. "Touga, I-"

"Do not bother to pity me." He bit out, a bit harsher than he intended, but damn, his pride was ruined and all of it was his own fault. He couldn't really blame her for what he had done himself, but frustrations leaked out despite even the best warriors grasp on their emotion.

"I'm not pitying you, idiot." Her own snappy reply brought his eyes back to her as she glared up at him. "I was just going to say, I understand. I did the same damn thing once before and ended up slamming my fist into a wall because of it later. I just want to make sure you don't do anything rash yourself because I can tell you, the broken knuckles in my hand made me wish I hadn't done it for a few weeks afterwards."

"Hmph." He snorted, looking away from her and up at the moon with an air of superiority. "I fail to see how punching anything here would break any of my bones."

"I swear- What I'm getting at is you shouldn't do anything right now because you're upset, _moron!"_ Niki literally growled at the frustrating demon beside her, teeth ground together tight enough to make her jaw hurt. "Don't do anything rash, be it punching something or some _one_." Throwing her hands up in the air, she turned to walk away, muttering something about idiots and their penchant to seem superior when they're obviously wounded in the ego.

Staring after her, Touga felt his ire calm somewhat, traces of amusement flickering in his aura at her bold declarations of him being weak-minded then storming off as if completely unafraid of him. _'Of course, she would have no reason to fear me. I have yet to see her truly frightened of anything yet.'_ He mused to himself as he slowly made his way after her, even after being rejected in the way he was, the intent to keep her safe hadn't left.

Seconds after such a thought drifted through his mind, he heard a soft, rather girlish scream, come from where she was and bolted to her side. Looking down, he saw her sitting on the ground on the edge of the path, a finger pointing at something across from her with a wide pair of eyes. "Get it! I _swear,_ Touga, get that thing away from me!" She nearly growled, making him tense and sweep the area with his eyes before they landed... On a small spider sitting harmlessly on the petal of a flower.

...

...

"This?" He plucked the creature from it's resting place and held it out for her to see, only to have Niki scramble to her feet and back away with a shudder. "Get it away from me you freak! Oh! How can you even touch that thing?" She shuddered again, disgust warring with panic on her face as she locked her eyes onto the tiny spider sitting there on the tip of his finger.

...

"This spider?" He wanted to be sure it was exactly what she was talking about, a disbelieving gaze on her face as she continued staring at the spider only to have her squeak and back up farther when it began crawling in an attempt to escape.

"Yes!" She nearly wailed, unable to look away from the 'creature' as it slowly made it's way along his finger to his knuckle and finally the back of his hand as he held it up so he could see it closer.

"It is not poisonous."

"I don't care!"

"It is much to small to pose a threat."

 _"Touga!"_

"It's fangs couldn't even scratch your skin much less pierce it."

 **"Please!"**

Finally, tossing a glance over at her, he turned and flicked the unfortunate creature across the garden, possibly killing it from the force, but something so small, it didn't warrant even an apology as he turned back to Niki and lifted a brow at her hesitant steps back towards him.

"Is it gone?"

At his nod, her entire frame relaxed as she nearly slumped to the ground, a hand running through her hair as she took a deep breath. "Oh thank god."

Choosing to stay silent, he simply watched with a bemused expression similar to the one she had given him not to long ago. Sparing a glance up at him, she pointed a warning finger at Touga with a small growl to accompany it. "Don't you dare judge me."

"I did not say anything." It was hard not to smile at her expression.

"You didn't have to, go ahead, say it. Say it's stupid to be afraid of something so small."

"It is.. Unusual." He admitted, struggling with the twitching in his lip as it attempted to rise despite his efforts to keep the grin threatening him down.

"It's a legitimate fear, dammit." She muttered, her eyes darting around for a moment before she stepped back into the middle of the path. "It's called arachnophobia, the fear of spiders. And they're just... Creepy." She shuddered, no doubt thinking about the spider she spotted.

"Yet you do not fear the snake you keep wrapped around you." He pointed out, making her look down at the animal then back up at him. "Yeah, so? Snakes are cute."

Hearing this, Touga nearly strangled himself with the effort not to sigh at her backwards logic, then let it go. It was obvious her odd fear wouldn't abate anytime soon, nor would she understand why he _didn't_ understand her obvious liking for snakes.

* * *

"So it would seem the demon has his eyes on her himself, hm?" Aoi leaned back as he processed what his guard had explained after both members in the garden had gone to their respective rooms for the night.

Frowning slightly, he turned to look at the vase Niki had admired after entering his home then looked back at the man kneeling in front of him in thought. Her rejection had stung, but it soothed his pride somewhat to know she had rejected the demon as well, while obviously welcoming his friendship, she did not seem to want a romantic relationship.

 _'However, I have the upper-hand. Even if she does not mind the company of demons, it would seem she has no desire to be in a relationship with one.'_ Pausing in his thoughts, he turned and opened a box sitting behind him and gently lifted out the small bag nestled inside, thoughtfully weighing it in his hand before turning back towards the guard in front of him. "Take this to the Miko of the village and explain the situation of my guests staying for the night, and possibly the next. Tell her I wish to know her knowledge of any markings that look like the one the woman carries on her forehead."

The guard, knowing instantly what his master meant, nodded silently then pocketed the bag before departing from the shiro, intent on his mission. While the master of the house was fair in his dealings with the servants, it would seem he is intent, very intent on the woman he had them keeping an eye on. And he suspected if the headman did not get his way, he may just become frustrated and begin to take things out on the shiro rather than the point of his irritation.

 _'I am simply glad I failed to admit my suspicions.'_ The guard forced back a grimace at what his lord might have reacted like if he had heard the guard suspected this Niki woman indeed did like the demon, but did not find the time or the place proper for his approach. But instead keeping that information to himself, he shook his thoughts away and once more focused on what he was to do. The bag he carried he knew held several herbs the miko spoke of a few days prior needing but unable to find any in the area.

He was to bring them to her anyway, the message only being added now the headman had something in mind. Heaving a small sigh, he stepped past the gate of the shrine and headed up the steps towards the Miko who was already standing at the top, obviously sensing him, and most likely unable to sleep with the unknown auras in the headman's Shiro. Knowing he was subjecting himself to nearly a hour or two of questions, the guard simply gave up on the thought of escaping once the message was delivered. Tonight would not end soon enough for him.

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	17. Chapter 17 (Mini Filler)

**Chapter Seventeen (filler)**

 **This is just a small in-between I couldn't fit anywhere else in the main chapter, I wanted something weird and (maybe?) funny that could explain why they'd be staying at the shiro for a day or two more rather than the presumed one night.**

 **And I know, it's probably terrible what I wrote, but to be honest, I'm running on three hours of sleep and energy drinks at the moment. I made seventy six spelling errors and typed a whole sentence wrong, just wrong. (meaning instead of 'Coffee, her kingdom for a cup of coffee.' I wrote 'Kingdom, her coffee for a cup of kingdom.') And I didn't even notice until I decided to read over it after I fixed the spelling errors to make sure there was nothing else wrong.**

 **I can only imagine your reactions.**

 **Anywayyy, hopefully I'll manage to type up a proper chapter here later today, but for now please enjoy this random mini filler.**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

Arms stretching over her head accompanied by a large yawn preceded Niki as she followed Sango into the main room of the shiro, breakfast already being served while they seated themselves. "Ugn, morning." Niki finally managed to mumble out, eyes barely open as she continued to try and wake herself up.

After spending a couple hours in the garden with Touga last night, she returned to her room only to get another hour of sleep before some door somewhere slammed shut woke her up again. After settling back down and barely dozing off, she started hearing Kagome and Inuyasha argue softly about something. True they were trying to be quiet, but it wasn't hard to be heard through paper thin walls either.

So she ended up staying awake just until the sun started to rise and managed to get maybe a total of ten or twenty minutes of sleep... Until Sango woke her up for breakfast. A low grumble slipped from her lips at the thoughts over her night. "Didn't you sleep well?" Looking up at Touga beside her, Niki sent a half-hearted scowl in his direction before returning to her food in silence.

Coffee, her kingdom for a cup of coffee. Well... Not that she had a kingdom, maybe Sesshomaru would loan his to her long enough so she could give it away in a severely unbalanced trade? Nah, he'd rather kill her than do that.

Shaking her head lightly, Niki picked at her food idly, lost in thought and simply unable to muster up the energy to even care she was being given several odd looks from the rest of the pack. Let them stare, if any of them even try to start anything, she'd welcome the chance to blow off some steam. Come on, come at me bro, I'm waiting.

Scowling at nothing but the rice in front of her, Niki pushed the food away and stood up without a word, intent on getting away before she did anything rash at the moment. Really, her morning was shit, right down the drain, horrible and probably will only get worse.

"Lady Niki?" Oh yeah, just got worse.

Sliding her eyes to the side, Niki eyed the young servant standing hesitantly beside her, obviously wishing she was somewhere else other than following the angry woman around, but orders were orders, no matter how horrible they might be. "What?"

Dipping her head into a light bow, the servant gestured to the hallway off to the right of where they stood and began to speak. "The master of the house wishes to speak to you in his study. If you would follow me..."

"No."

Blinking, the servant girl looked up at the woman who had folded her arms and sent a scowl down the hallway she was supposed to be going down. "Excuse me, Lady?"

"I said no, if he wants to talk to me, fine. But I'm not going anywhere for anyone right now. If it's that damn important then he can march his happy little ass to where I am in the garden because right now, I could seriously tear someone's head off at the moment." With that said, Niki turned on her heel and walked away, heading directly for the garden she mentioned and intent on finding some measure of peace before she ended up blowing her top.

No, today would not be a good day. Hopefully Touga will manage to corner the stupid man and get whatever information he wanted out of him and they could be on their way.

* * *

"Lady? Hmph, don't try to butter me up." Niki scowled at an unfortunate plant while she stomped her way around the garden, obviously her search for peace had not worked now that she bothered to remember the area was surrounded by guards that were eyeballing her like she'd rip the place up... Well, not too far from the truth now that she thought about it. Seemed fun, but not worth the fight afterwards when they swarmed her.

Kicking at a pebble, she plopped onto a open bit of grass and laid back, arms behind her head as she closed her eyes with a very slow breath leaving her lips. "Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven, Six..."

Touga stepped out into the sunlight shining in the garden, eyes narrowed as they swept the area in search of something or someone. Finally spotting her nearly hiding behind a group of flowers, he shook his head lightly and walked over to where Niki lay.

Stopping a few feet away, he listened to her count until she finished with an explosive _'One!'_ and sat up abruptly, her eyes still closed with a frown pulling her lips down lightly. "Well... That didn't work."

"And what did you hope to accomplish by counting?" He finally asked, an eyebrow quirked upwards when she sent a narrow look in his direction. "Attempting to calm down but obviously it doesn't do jack squat."

"Jack... squat..?" The phrase unfamiliar to him as he settled down across from Niki as she began plucking blades of grass from the ground and twisting them around in her fingers. Something he had begun to associate with agitation when it came to her. "It means nothing, nada, absolute zero." She sighed and let her shoulders slump slightly, trying to relax the tense muscles in her back.

"Why, may I ask, are you in such a dark mood this morning?" Touga finally asked, earning another narrow look and sigh as she dropped the grass and threw her hands up in the air in surrender. "Oh, I don't know, maybe it has to do with the three hours of sleep I got last night?"

 _'So that would explain it.'_ He nodded slightly and bit back the smile before it could show itself. "Perhaps you should attempt to rest before we leave?"

"I was thinking the same thing when I left breakfast earlier, only to be stopped by some girl saying the headman wanted to talk to me. So I said 'if he wants to see me, then he can find me.' And skipped my merry little self here to the garden." Niki grumbled, this time earning a soft chuckle from him as she flopped onto her back once more.

"I see, then your mood only soured, I presume?"

"Yeah, not so bad with you here though. I feel like if I try to hit you, you'd just throw me over the damn house so it curbs my irritation a bit." Niki shrugged, not seeing the incredulous look the demon tossed her as she closed her eyes and shifted her shoulders against the grass, trying to get comfortable.

"I see." Falling silent, the two of them simply sat there in the sunlight, Touga keeping an eye on the guards staring at them, Niki just being lazy on the ground. "Touga."

"Hm?" He hummed softly, looking over at Niki as she opened her eyes and looked up at him with a small, thoughtful frown on her face. "Do you smell that?"

Drawing his eyebrows together, Touga inhaled lightly, filtering the scents out of the air then dropped his gaze back down at her while she sat up. "I smell nothing unusual."

"It smells like-" Cue the downpour as water suddenly began pouring from the sky, soaking the two out there to the bone instantly. Jumping to their feet, they ran to the overhang surrounding the garden and stopped, blinking at each other's soaked figures.

Niki looked up at Touga, noticing the hair in his ponytail had somehow gotten stuck to his forehead, along with a leaf that seemed to make it's home on his cheek while they had ran to shelter. Even with just those two things, he looked more disheveled than she had ever seen him before, making a small laugh break free before she could clap a hand over her mouth and stare wide-eyed up at him.

Touga, raised an eyebrow, shifting the air stuck just above it slightly and making Niki snort through her hands, her shoulders shaking slightly as she struggled to keep it in. _'He looks like a drowned puppy...'_

Raking his gaze over her in turn, Touga noted several blades of grass that she had torn up while they spoke had situated themselves along her neck and face, her hair plastered flat to her head instead of it's usual slight waves that she seemed to hate.

Her clothing hung off of her like a child wearing it's father's clothing while they play. Then there were her glasses, covered in water droplets and even as he watched they seemed to become fogged over as she continued to struggle against her laughter.

Reaching out, he plucked them from her face and held them out to see properly, making Niki drop her hands away from her mouth and open it to snap for their return. Looking down at her irate expression as the water steadily dripped onto her nose and cheeks from her hair, he let out a low chuckle.

"Wh-" Niki started only to be interrupted by another chuckle, this one louder as he held out her glasses, which she snatched away from him and furiously tried to clean them on her shirt, only managing to smudge them more with the soaked cloth. Seeing this, Touga laughed outright, making her snap her head up at him in irritation.

Just about to give him a piece of her mind, Niki spotted the leaf from before peal itself away from his cheek and float down to the floor, making Touga pause in his laughter as they both watched it. Looking up once more, they locked eyes for a moment. And burst into laughter, Niki wrapping her arms around her middle as she struggled to catch her breath between her laugh as Touga leaned a shoulder against the wall beside him, both simply laughing like maniacs (Or idiots if you want to look at it that way) at the fact they had been caught in a sudden -sudden? Instantaneous!- downpour.

Inuyasha, hearing the noise, peered around the corner and gaped at the sight, Kagome, seeing this, simply grabbed one of his ears and pulled him away before he could interrupt. Sesshomaru chose to stay far away from the noise, knowing full well whatever the two were laughing at would make no sense at all. His hand automatically grabbing Sonya's upper arm as she stood to to investigate and pulled her into his lap where he could make sure she wouldn't sneak off.

Sango and Miroku simply shook their heads, ignoring Shippo's questions about what was so funny as they walked away and into the shiro away from the rain. They didn't understand it, but judging from Niki's sour mood this morning, it seemed needed.

So the two were left alone to laugh for no reason at all as they dripped water onto the floor, unaware two eyes narrowed in irritation as they watched them and their antics.

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	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

 **Well, here's the next chapter, and it's a bit short compared to the last few chapters (Minus the mini-filler), but I decided to stop it where I did because well, I'm evil like that and cliffhangers are my thing. I mean really, if you didn't know that by now, then maybe you should go back and re-read the last two stories.**

 **Anyway, things are gonna start cooking here in chapter nineteen, so just be warned, some... well Distasteful things might happen and some of you might not really like to read them, don't worry, I'll put a warning at the beginning of any chapter with those things in it in case you don't want to read them.**

 **Ummm... I think that's all I really need to say right now, if I think of something else, I'll put it at the beginning of the next chapter. As for now, go read and let me know what you think!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

The door to Sango's borrowed room flung open to reveal a soaked Niki to the slayer as she sat polishing her weapon. Knowing full well what happened already, she merely smiled at the girl as she waved a idle hand at a pile of dry clothes she had set off to the side. "The Headman sent a clean, dry kimono along with a drying cloth when I mentioned you had been caught in the sudden rain."

Hearing it was the headman who had sent the clothes, Niki hesitated, hand hovering over the cloth while darting a suspicious glance over at the slayer, who seemed to be a little too interested in the weapon she was cleaning at the moment. "Sango." The slayer scrubbed harder at an invisible spot, trying to ignore Niki as she stood back on her feet and walked over to stand beside her. "Sango."

Flipping the giant boomerang over, she mentally swore at the spotless finish reflecting back at her. "Sango!" Snapping her head up, she cast a sheepish smile at Niki who seemed to be imitating one of the dog demons they traveled with, it was hard to tell what one considering they all had the same glare of _'tell me what you know'_ down pat.

Heaving small sigh, Sango set the weapon aside and patted the ground in front of her, knowing full well Niki intended to wring any bit of information she could out of her before even putting those clothes on. "Sit down and I'll dry your hair while we speak. The last thing we need is for you to catch cold by being stubborn." She finally said, already reluctant to explain the headman's kind 'offer' to the girl as she settled down in front of her, passing the drying cloth over to Sango as she sat. reaching up, the slayer began drying the girl's dripping locks in resignation.

"Well..."

* * *

After drying himself off and changing into a borrowed pair of hakima and haori, Touga strode from his room, intent on finding Aoi and finishing the business he had there with him before the weather got too bad. Of course, they wouldn't leave until the rain let up, he wouldn't endanger the humans with poor health. But once the rain stopped, he wanted to be ready to leave right away.

After asking several passing servants along the way, he finally pinpointed the master of the house to be in his study of sorts, speaking with a miko that seemed to have arrived before the rains. Furrowing his brow at the news of a miko being invited over, he strode through the halls, ignoring the servants pushing themselves against the wall to stay out of his way.

Once reaching the door, he paused for a moment outside only to hear the Miko mention she felt an aura outside and knocked on the wood siding. "It is Touga." He replied to the question from Aoi then let himself inside once told to enter. "I came to discuss with you what I wanted from arrival, but I see you have company." He stated wryly, eyes lingering on the miko who seemed to become agitated at his mere presence.

"Nonsense, Touga. Join us." Aoi smiled broadly and waved a hand at one of the empty cushions, watching for a moment as the demon seated himself then turned his attention back to the miko across from him. "Now then, as we were saying..."

The miko shifted herself a little bit farther from Touga then turned to look at Aoi with a bland expression as she continued from their conversation from before. "As I said before, I cannot commit to what you have asked me to do without you promising to fund the shrine to be fixed for the coming winter."

Hearing this Touga lifted an eyebrow in slight surprise. It was rare for a miko to ask for anything in return for their services. However it wasn't unheard of, perhaps the shrine she cares for and lives in needs the repairs desperately, and truth be told, the woman hardly looked to be the type to fix it. Keeping silent, he merely listened to the conversation between the two until he could speak without interrupting.

Aoi rubbed his chin in thought then reached over to pull a scroll out of it's place resting beside him and rolled it open, obviously checking some information before giving his answer. At best guess, it had something to do with his profits and how much he could give the miko to have the shrine fixed, but as he was sitting at the wrong angle to even glimpse at the words on the paper, he couldn't tell if he was right.

"Three builders and minor supplies needed to fix the shrine should be enough, yes?" Aoi finally spoke, looking up from the paper and at the miko across from him to see her nod quietly. "Good, then do we have an agreement?"

Thinking to herself, the woman chanced a glance in Touga's direction then turned her gaze back to the headman and nodded slightly. "Yes, I believe I can make do with this."

"Wonderful, I shall show you the way out then, Lady Miko." Aoi stood along with the woman and made his way towards the door before pausing to look back at Touga, a satisfied expression on his face. "I shall return momentarily, my friend." With that said, the shut the door behind himself and the miko, leaving Touga alone in the room.

Pushing back the smile that threatened to break across his face, Touga checked to be sure no one was approaching the door then delicately plucked the paper from the low table where Aoi had left it. His curiosity nagging to see what it was the human was reading.

Scanning the words written there, Touga felt his eyebrows raise higher and higher until he finished. Setting the paper back down, he folded his arms and furrowed his brow, deep in thought. Apparently the man had more influence than he had first assumed.

As a headman, it would be common for him to have a small stand of soldiers to protect and serve, but judging from what he had just read, he owned not one, but several, and they were stationed at other villages in the area, serving their headman. And those men, in turn, owe Aoi payment for the protection his soldiers give them and their families.

On top of that, he received a hefty sum from the wealthiest in this village, as well as the others, for adding additional protection from demons and bandits by employing one of their own soldiers and having them trained by the demon hunters Sango and Kohaku were apart of before they were decimated by Naraku.

Doing so, the richest, owe him payment for bribing the slayers to train anyone outside of their village, and it came in a smaller amount than the original so he did not simply take all they had at once.

Closing his eyes, he fell into his thoughts, just trying to figure out who exactly this Aoi was to have so much control over this small area of land. To be honest, Touga himself did not desire to become lord of any part of the lands ruled by the Youkai leaders. He had a taste of that for nearly five centuries before his death, and had no desire to do it again. Sesshomaru seemed to be doing a well enough job with the west, and unless the pup did anything that might bring ruin to said land, he wouldn't bother stepping in and/or interrupting his rule.

From what he learned of Aoi from the one piece of paper he had read, the man had the perfect set-up. And he seemed to be a fair headman to those under him, so he had no real reason to replace him either.

However, his instance for pursuing Niki... That alone would get the man killed if he didn't soon learn to leave her alone. The sound of footsteps approaching sent his ear twitching and brought Touga from his thoughts, eyes opening just in time to see the door open and reveal a still-satisfied Aoi letting himself in.

"Now then, what did you wish to talk to me about, my friend?" Aoi asked idly, rolling the scroll while he spoke and setting it back where it was before. Narrowing his eyes slightly, Touga cleared his throat and waited until the headman's attention was completely on him before speaking. "I merely desired to know if there were any problems with your ruling lord and where I might find him. After recently returning from a long stay away, I find myself without lands and desire some."

Aoi kept quiet throughout Touga's explanation, a gleam of something in his eye while he watched the demon. Once finished, he settled back and ran a hand over his face in thought. "The ruling Lord is strict, but fair, I am certain if you offer your services to him, he'd be more than happy to give you lands in return for it." He finally stated, gaze focused inward while he spoke, already thinking over other possibilities. "Perhaps one of the minor lords would give you land on their holdings in return for your sword as well. I find myself in need of new guards recently after offering help to a nearby headman recently."

 _'So it would seem his reach goes farther than what the paper says.'_ Closing his eyes, Touga appeared to think over the options presented to him then got to his feet. "I thank you for your time and knowledge." With a bow, he left abruptly, eager to leave now that he gotten what he wanted from the man. Of course with the rain still falling, they would wait as he planned before, but there was nothing wrong with the pack gathering their things beforehand.

He truly wanted Aoi's holdings, the man had more than any normal headman would through sheer thought and maneuvering, he didn't control several towns, but they owed him favor and sums for his help. Gritting his teeth, he shook off the thought of simply taking his head from his body and replacing the man. Unless Aoi does anything to offend him or his pack, he really couldn't do anything about it. He would simply have to find his lands elsewhere, unfortunately.

Turning a corner while deep in thought, he failed to see a colorful blur dart towards him and run directly into his check with a pained squeak as it fell back.

Blinking down, he stared at Niki as she rubbed her forehead, glasses askew and a pained grimace on her face. "Owww... What are you, a brick wall?" She growled up at the demon, ignoring his blank stare as she got to her feet and readjusted the clothes she wore with a low growl. "If you don't mind, I have some words to say to that stupid headman." She snapped, moving to step around him only to have Touga's hand land on her shoulder, stopping her forward movement.

"Woman, what is that you are wearing." A demand, not question, met her ears as Niki turned to look at Touga over her shoulder with a small frown on her face. "It's clothes, mine were soaked through." She growled back, irritated despite herself. "And I know, don't bother trying to explain to me, Sango told me everything and I'm about to go and tear a chunk out of that asshole's hide for even thinking something like this."

Raising an eyebrow, Touga managed to shake off the slight shock of seeing Niki in the clothes of his time, not just any clothes however, they were the clothes of a highborn lady, the green and blues clashing with her complexion and eyes as they sparkled with fury. "Apparently, he assumed I'd enjoy a piece from the wardrobe he had prepared for his future wife." She added, drawing Touga from his perusal of how... Interesting she looked in the clothing and brought forth a spark of irritation in the demon.

"Did he now." He growled dangerously, making Niki toss her hair back from her face and scowl up at him. "Why the hell else would I be this damn upset. I'd wear something else, but I can't find Sonya or Kagome and Sango doesn't have any clothes that would fit me. You know, for someone that's the perfect size for her age, she's pretty damn muscled." She muttered as an afterthought, pouting at the fact her arms were nearly twigs and the fact her thighs weren't exactly small either.

She'd never fit in the slayer's clothes merely for the fact her hips were too wide as well, it wasn't all fat either, her bones seemed to be bigger there than was normal and always ruined any type of clothes shopping she did in the past. Do you know how hard it was to find a pair of pants that fit at her waist and were long enough to cover her legs without dragging? Either the legs were too long and the waist was perfect, or the opposite.

Grumbling under her breath, Niki continued picking at the flaws of her figure while Touga simply stared in bemusement at her as she mumbled things like "Stupid legs." Or even "Wide hips..." Which only proved to amuse him farther.

"Niki." He tried to gain her attention, her mumbling beginning to become more and more irritated. He sighed lightly under his breath when she failed to hear him and placed his other hand on her opposite shoulder, turning the woman around so she'd face him fully. "Woman!"

Hearing the barked command for attention, Niki blinked up at Touga and felt her cheeks heat up at the amused look he was giving her, knowing full well he heard her muttering about how her body didn't seem to fit any criteria. Pointing a finger at his face, she narrowed her eyes in a threatening manner. "Not a word about this to anyone. I swear, I'll chop off all that pretty hair of yours and make a necklace of it."

Seeing her perfectly serious face, Touga leaned back, obviously thinking about her threat seriously and plucked at a strand of said hair thoughtfully, watching as her eyes zeroed in on the slightly shining object with a glimmer of what looked to be want in them.

"Pretty hair, hm?" He finally asked, watching once more as her cheeks turned a faint pink and she turned away from him in a huff. "Well it's not like I see silver hair like yours often. Sesshomaru usually only lets Sonya play with his, and even then he looks irritated. Inuyasha barely lets Kagome brush his hair, so the only logical way I'd get to even put my hands on hair like that is if I cut it off." Niki sniffed lightly, obviously upset she wouldn't get to play with the one thing she had her eyes on.

Chuckling under his breath, Touga leaned over, easily shrugging his hair to slip over his shoulder and to dangle over her's, easily in her line of sight. "I do not mind having one such as you groom my hair, only if you allow the same." He rumbled, watching with a smile as she stiffened lightly at the suggestion. At this point, he knew subtle suggestions weren't noticed the way he wanted, a blatant offer like this... He was certain she'd realize.

"Wh- No!" Niki snapped, fighting back the blush threatening to melt the skin on her cheeks and took a step away from the demon behind her, trying valiantly to ignore the silky feel of his hair as it slipped over her shoulder when she stepped away. "Don't go getting any weird ideas, Touga. I just like playing with pretty hair, that's all." With that said, she turned away from him and stalked off in a huff, obviously forgetting her earlier commitment to tear into Aoi's hide about assuming she'd enjoy wearing his future wife's clothing as she disappeared in the direction of the room she shared with the slayer.

Straightening up, Touga brushed his hair back behind him and turned his attention back in the direction of the headman's study. He, however, did not forget the liberties the man had taken, and planned to use an insult as such to gain what he wanted. Once he finished with the man, he would no longer desire Niki, nor would he want his lands. Oh, no, he'd wish to get away as soon as possible. A feral smile spread Touga's lips back, revealing a pair of dangerous fangs as he stalked down the hall, already hunting the prey he set his eyes on from nearly the moment they arrived. And finally it would be time to end the hunt, with him as the victor again.

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	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

 **I know, I know this is earlier than expected, but I wanted to get this typed out and posted before I forgot the little conversations I had planned for this chapter.**

 **Not like you all have anything to complain about, two chapters in one day? Come on, that's a miracle in itself. Not to mention it's a fairly decent length too, so applause please, thank-you.**

 **And just letting you know ahead of time, this is only the beginning of the story, really, what I have planned, this one could go one for a while as long as I keep my creative juices flowing.**

 **As for the Touga/Niki situation, I know it's awkward and I'm absolutely sure some of you are yelling at the screen for them to just stop beating around the bush, but there is a reason behind this, I swear!**

 **Annnnnd for you fans of the previous two stories I wrote, there's a little Sesshomaru/Sonya in here too, so enjoy that, I know I did writing it.**

 **I think that's it for now, go enjoy your surprise chapter.**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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Flopping down on the floor between Kagome and Sonya, Niki let out a loud, irritated huff of air. "Well, this sucks." She muttered finally, getting a few nods in return from the other two. It had been raining steadily all day and judging from Kagome's watch, it was nearly time for dinner. And to top it all off, her clothes couldn't dry either, without wind, all they could do was drip onto the floor.

Another explosive sigh left Niki as she stared up at the ceiling, bored out of her skull as she simply lay there. "I... Forgot what I was going to say." She mumbled, earning two soft laughs from her companions as she sat up and grimaced at the clothes she wore. "You know, these are beautiful and obviously expensive, but I can't help feeling my skin crawl knowing they're for that jerk's future wife."

"No kidding, I'd say strip down to your skivvies and give the boys a show." Sonya piped up, making Niki flush lightly and flip her off as she and Kagome laughed at the thought of her waltzing into dinner with nothing but her underwear and bra on. "Yeah, right, like I need to give those two perverts anything else to fuel their issues with."

"Two? I was just saying boys as a general term, just who are you thinking about... Hmmm?" Sonya leaned onto her hands, invading the girl's personal space as she studied her face with interest. "Well? Come on, out with it, who else is bugging you? I bet I know who!" Leaning back, she pawed the air like a cat and grinned cheekily at Kagome's questioning look. "I bet it's a certain tall Inu with his hair in a ponytail, that's who."

Kagome giggled lightly, chancing a look over at Niki to see her furious expression at Sonya's even mentioning of Touga and laughed outright. "I think you hit the nail on the head with that one. What did he do now?"

"He told me if I wanted to play with his hair, he'd get to do the same, but he said it in a more suggestive way." Niki snorted, arms folding over her chest as she looked away from her two supposed friends while they laughed at her situation. "What, did he say groom? That's so cute! You want to play with his hair, Niki." Sonya teased, poking the girl's cheek until she snapped at her finger with her teeth. "If it's anything like Sesshomaru's, then worth the risk of being hit on, trust me."

"Inuyasha barely lets me do anything with it after Shippo put ribbons in that one day." Kagome moped with a heavy sigh, eyes dropping down to the brush she had just taken out moments ago. "I have to fight him just so I can brush it."

"So... Apparently I'm not the only weirdo with a small hair fetish." Niki muttered, making the two girl's there blush lightly and look away from each other. Well, she wasn't wrong, it was just something about that family's hair that brought out the inner fangirl. Sonya was just lucky to have a tolerant mate when it came to her odd fascination with his hair. Her own wasn't nearly as silky or soft, then again, she never really let it grow out either...

Clapping a hand on Niki's slumped shoulder, Sonya leaned her head on top of her doppelgangers with a small sigh of her own. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure if you give him the puppy eyes he'd let you put his hair in pigtails. That guy has it bad for you, I'm telling ya." Niki huffed and looked down at the floor, trying to hide the red growing on her cheeks at Niki's words. "Well, it's not mutual."

Kagome sent a look at Sonya who shook her head with a wry smile. The girl was in denial, the sooner they bring her out of it, the better. Then they could be one big happy family that got to bug their dogs on a daily basis.

"Oh! Tell you what, why don't you two have dinner alone so you can talk out everything that's bothering you? Kagome and I will set it up!" Sonya said suddenly, nearly teleporting herself to crouch in front of Niki in her excitement. "You can explain to him you just don't see him that way, and he can tell you just why he feels the way he does."

"Uh. No." Shaking her head, Niki shot down the idea quickly and without even pausing to think. "Bad idea. No. All I want is free reign to play with his hair, I don't want him assuming that means he has free reign to play with all of me." Snorting at the thought, she closed her eyes and shook her head more firmly.

"Well... If you want to get your way, I'll tell you every Inu's weakness." The wolf said thoughtfully, a clawed finger reaching up to tap on her nose lightly, eyes focused on the ceiling as she pondered her ideas. "Weakness?" Both Kagome and Sonya asked curiously, Niki despite herself and Kagome for reasons best left unsaid.

"Well yeah, they are dogs, aren't they? What do dogs like most?" Blinking down at the two, she watched as they looked at each other then back at her with confused expressions.

"Playing fetch?" Niki quirked an eyebrow, one shoulder shrugging lightly.

"Belly rubs?" Kagome said at the same time, her cheeks flushing slightly at the mere thought.

Blinking at the two of them, Sonya suddenly burst into laughter, trying to picture throwing a ball for Sesshomaru for him to fetch or even rubbing his belly while he kicked his arms and legs in the air. All in all if the man knew what she was thinking, he wouldn't hesitate to tie her up somewhere far away from everyone else so she couldn't share these same thoughts with them. "No. Scratching behind the ears. I mean think about it, what dog doesn't nearly fall over when you do that?"

Niki and Kagome fell silent, thinking about what she just said before a pair of shining eyes jerked back up at her at the same time, nearly making Sonya regret even telling them. Nearly. "Oh my god, you're right!" Niki's wide eyes nearly sparkled at the mere thought of getting the one plaything she's wanted since starting on this journey. If she played her cards right, she'd have at least one moment a day to sit and play with that dog's hair to her heart's content.

Kagome on the other hand was thinking about how easy it would calm Inuyasha down, and a calm Inuyasha resulted in less arguments when it came to her wanting to do something she knew he didn't like, mainly going home to visit her family or gather supplies. Granted he knew they needed them, she suspected it had something to do with him being unable to smell her while she was on the other side.

While both girls were lost in their imaginations, Sonya got to her feet and shook her head in mock sorrow for the two unfortunate Inu she had unwittingly brought this upon. No doubt those two would be using her own dirty tactic she found herself on them as soon as they got the chance. Pity nearly welled to the surface with that thought, but the following image of those same two Inu being led around on leashes and told to fetch various items beat it back down immediately.

At least Sesshomaru would get a kick out of seeing his brother being lead around by his nose. Shrugging her shoulders, Sonya let herself out of the room, completely unnoticed by the two girls busy daydreaming at the moment. Niki was a bit difficult to understand really, it was obvious she liked Touga, but there was something there that made her pull back from any actual relationship with the poor guy.

Frowning slightly, she followed her mate's scent into the library he had found only hours after they had first arrived and unceremoniously plopped herself on his lap, ignoring the sharp look she received for interrupting his reading and closed her eyes. She seemed to have a weakness for hair, much like herself and Kagome when it came to their own demons, but that was all she really let through. She knew Touga wasn't thick-headed enough to miss the signals she was sending him either, but it made sense for him to be more confused than anything.

Letting out a sigh, she announced her frustration to Sesshomaru who nearly rolled his eyes and placed the scroll he was reading to the side so she could have his undivided attention. "Yes?"

"Trying to think of a way to get Niki to stop being an idiot." Sonya announced, making the demon grimace slightly at her name and close his eyes. "There is no hope for such an endeavor. It would be best to stop before you fail in the end." He stated wisely, making her snort and sit up so she faced him with a frown. "Don't start with that _'I can't stand humans'_ crap. You and I both know that isn't true when it comes to special ones."

Narrowing his eyes, Sesshomaru wrapped a arm around her waist and pulled her in closer so their foreheads rested against each other and let out a small breath, instantly relaxing at the closer contact with her. "I presume you have a deeper meaning than what you said earlier, then?"

"Yes, your father-" He cut her off by glaring sharply at the wolf only to have her hand clap over his mouth and a warning glare in return from her. "Your father." She continued as if nothing was wrong. "Likes her. And she likes him, but refuses to even admit it to herself."

"Hmph." Sesshomaru pushed her hand away from his mouth and leaned back against the wall behind him, idly thinking over the way his sire's actions around the woman had been lately and had to reluctantly admit his mate was correct. He did seem to have his eye on the woman, but she seemed reluctant herself to want it. "What do you wish to do?" He finally asked, pulling his gaze away from the ceiling and back to the wolf sitting on him, her own eyebrows pulled together in thought. "I don't know, but she's got a thing for his hair at least. I mean that's something to go on."

Looking up, Sonya flashed him a mischievous smile before leaning forward and running her hands through his own hair. "Kinda like me, really." She added with a small, happy giggle as he resigned himself to letting her play with his silver strands once again. He had never met anyone before that was as fascinated with his hair as the women in this pack were. Even the slayer sent longing glances towards himself and his sire's hair from time to time when she thought no one was looking.

Then again, human hair tended to be coarse, but that miko Kagome seemed to have hair products that could make it smooth... A slight tug brought Sesshomaru from his thoughts and back to the present as he looked down at Sonya's fingers skillfully twisting a strand of his hair into a thin braid. "Woman, what do you think you are doing?"

"Braiding your hair, now be still or I'll mess it up. It's hard enough with how silky this stuff is." Sonya frowned in concentration, mumbling a soft curse when one of the segments slipped between her fingers yet again. "Damn, no wonder you don't do anything with it, must be hard to even put up in a pony tail. How does your father do that anyway?" Forgetting the braid, she combed her fingers through the partially finished bit, smoothing it back out before looking back up at Sesshomaru with a small smile.

It wasn't too long after everything was done and over with when Sesshomaru had pulled her aside to speak in private. In the long run, the argument they had at that time about Kagura and his sleeping with her while in Sonya's body was a good one because they both seemed to be closer than before everything. He, on his part, was more attentive to her. Sonya, more protective and well, basically clinging to him in a way he found acceptable considering she rarely bothered with any type of cuddling unless she was sleeping or he picked her up for no reason at all.

Smiling slightly, she laid her head on his shoulder and began twirling a strand of his hair between her fingers. "You know I love you, right?"

Sesshomaru pulled her tighter to himself and closed his eyes, enjoying the gentle heartbeat he felt against his chest and hummed softly in agreement to her words. "And I, you." Hearing this, Sonya smiled and buried her nose in his neck, enjoying the moment of peace with a happy sigh. For now, she could forget about Niki and Touga and focus on her own happiness. Later, she'd butt into their business, but for now... She just wanted to stay right where she was.

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Niki ran a hand over her damp shirt with a small frown of irritation. Dinner was about to be served and her clothes were still wet! In fact... She furrowed her eyebrows slightly and leaned closer, fingers rubbing the cloth between her fingers slightly to get a better feel. It didn't feel like they were drying at all...

"Hmm..." Narrowing her eyes, she pushed the thought aside and shrugged, deciding it was her imagination before stalking out of the room and back down the hall. If they weren't dry by morning, she'd start asking questions, for now, she'd just try to ignore the stares she was bound to get once she walked into the room where the others were already sitting.

All day she had avoided everyone aside from the girls and Touga, who happened to be an accident, so she was sure none of the other guys knew what had happened unless one of the girl's had a big mouth. Grimacing slightly, she paused outside the door then slid it open and stepped inside, steadily ignoring the looks she was receiving and sat down in her usual seat.

Sending a quick glance around the room, she noticed not one, but two people missing. More exactly one person and a demon. Frowning again, she sent a questioning look over at Sonya who shrugged, just as curious as she was as to where Touga and Aoi were. After looking around again, she noticed the others seemed curious as well when their eyes darted to the two empty seats.

"So." Inuyasha finally spoke up, making all eyes turn to him as he flashed a mischievous smile in Niki's direction. "Nice clothes." Gritting her teeth, Niki flipped him off and turned away from him, ignoring the snickering followed by a slapping sound and a muttered _'ow'._ "Thank you, Kagome." She said without looking over, making the miko smile in apology at her even though she couldn't see.

The room once more fell into an awkward silence as they sat waiting for the other two to join them. Usually the headman was the one to greet them as they walked into the room, Touga was normally the second one in here followed by the rest in a varying pattern. Now they were thrown off a bit by the fact that the first two here were supposedly missing.

"You don't think they decided to go on a walk, do you?" Shippo piped up, making Sonya shoot an uneasy glance at the doorway, her senses already tickling slightly and the kid's words only put her more on edge. "Sesshomaru, go see if you can find your father. I have a bad feeling about this." She finally whispered to him, making the demon eye her expression silently for a moment then nod and stand up, followed by Inuyasha who had a serious look on his face for once. "I'll go with you." He muttered at his brother's quick glance. Without another word the two of them left, leaving the rest to sit in an uneasy silence.

"Sonya." Hearing her name, she looked over at Niki who was frowning at the floor in front of her. "Don't ask me why, but I get the feeling they'll only be finding one of them." The wolf smiled sympathetically and reached over to pat the girl on the hand lightly. "I know, I get the same feeling."

Kagome shared a quick look at Sango when they heard this, both of them already starting to come to the conclusion that Niki wasn't completely normal in the sense of the rest of the humans they know.

It was a tad disturbing to think yet another member of their group had a strange sense, not to mention one closely resembling Sonya's own psychic powers. But to realize her look-a-like was a little more like her than just by appearance. Something was obviously going on, and it seemed to be deeper than they originally thought.

"Don't worry, Niki. I'm sure Touga is fine." Sango finally tried to reassure the woman as she slowly grew more and more restless as the time passed, her hands twisting the beautiful cloth of the kimono she wore nervously. "I'm not worried about him, I'm worried about what he might have done." She finally muttered, earning a few surprised looks that quickly morphed to the same worry she held.

"You're right. But I am certain things will be fine. For now, simply relax until we know more." Miroku tried his hand at calming her down and to the other's surprise, it seemed to have worked when her shoulders relaxed slightly and she sent a small smile in his direction. "I guess you're right."

Seeing her relax slightly, the rest of the pack settled back down, trying to shake the tense atmosphere around them while they waited. Time ticked on, the second hand on Kagome's watch making it's seventh round by her count since both Sesshomaru and Inuyasha left to find Touga and still not a sound or word about what was happening.

Getting to her feet suddenly, Sonya frowned and tugged a hand through her hair and turned towards the door. "I'm going to look too, I hate sitting around like this." She muttered at the questioning looks she revived. Niki got to her feet carefully as well, still not quite used to the clothes she wore and straightened her back with a firm look on her face. "I'm going with you."

Opening her mouth to protest, she caught Kagome's quick hand gesture to 'stop' before she said anything and turned to look at Niki's face with an internal sigh. She didn't look like she'd give up that decision anytime soon and nothing she'd say would stop her either. "Alright, stay close though." She finally said, waving a hand for her to follow as she stepped outside the room into the hallway.

Glancing both ways, she subtly sniffed the air, locking onto Sesshomaru's scent and easily following it through the shiro before stopping just outside the door it seemed to have vanished behind. Waving at Niki to get behind her, she reached out slowly and pushed the door open, revealing all three demons they were looking for standing in a sort of study.

Raising an eyebrow, she stared at the three as they turned to look at her and Niki who peered around her shoulder curiously. "There you are!" Looking at the girl, Sonya shook her head slightly as she slipped past the wolf and into the room, curious to find out just what was so secret they couldn't talk about it in the main room. "Where have you been, I'm starving."

Looking down at Niki, Touga found himself pleased even with the childish way he made sure she stayed in them. Granted it wasn't very mature of him to dampen her clothes whenever they started to dry out, but well worth it to see her scowling up at him in the kimono he saw her wearing earlier. "Apologies, there were things needed doing before I joined the pack for dinner." He offered blandly, noting her nose wrinkling slightly, indicating she didn't accept his apology one bit.

"Where is Aoi?" At this question all three demons stiffened slightly, each of them shooting quick glances at each other, not going unnoticed by Sonya or Niki as they stared at them. "Alright, what's going on here." Sonya finally spoke up, hands planting themselves on her hips as she narrowed a glare on the three of them. "Out with it."

Knowing this look, Sesshomaru sent a meaningful glance at his sire before walking over and taking Sonya by the arm and gently leading her from the room, murmuring in her ear that he'd explain it on the way back to the room where the other's waited. Inuyasha hesitated for a moment, looking at his father and Niki uncertainly before Touga nodded slightly at him, giving the hanyou the signal to leave them be.

Closing the door behind him, Inuyasha left the two of them alone in the room. Running a hand over his hair idly, Touga looked around at the scrolls lining the walls, trying to decide just how to explain to her that Aoi had run off after he had _'suggested'_ he leave after insulting the same woman in front of him with the very clothes she wore.

"He is gone."

Niki stiffened slightly at those words, her mind already going over the different possibilities that they could mean before she forced herself to relax once more. "Did you kill him?"

That question made Touga jerk his head around to look at Niki's calm expression, eyes turned away from him as she waited for his reply. Seeing this, he frowned slightly, trying to understand why she wanted to know the answer to that question instead of the one he suspected her to ask, _'Where is he?'_

"No." Nodding her head slightly, Niki turned her attention back on the demon in front of her, her gaze completely serious as she sized him up quietly, then: "Did you threaten him?"

Cursing her sharp intuition, Touga simply nodded, watching close as the girl seemed to think over his answers. After a moment's deliberation, she lifted her shoulders in a shrug and tossed a grin up at him, completely baffling the demon as she took a step forward and poked his chest lightly with a finger. "I figured something like this would happen. Just hope he doesn't come around and cause you any trouble." With that said, she turned to leave and paused at the door before opening it and looked back over her shoulder at him with a wry smile on her face. "Congratulations, headman." Then left a completely baffled demon standing alone in the study as she returned to the room the rest of the others were waiting in.

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	20. Chapter 20 (Another Filler)

**Chapter Twenty (filler)**

 **Well here's another short one to sum up everything for the next chapter. I know I made one not too long ago, but I couldn't really continue without setting some things straight is all.**

 **As for the situation in how long it will take me to write it up: I'm not completely sure. I know the idea of what I want to happen, but I'm not so sure how to word it yet. Hopefully I'll have it up sometime tomorrow but I make no promises. It shouldn't be any later than one or two days, I'll stay up all night writing before I make that happen.**

 **I know it's short and sorta vague, but it's important to know what everyone is thinking and feeling at the moment because it will show back up later. I've already plotted out the first 'big issue' in the story, so pay attention to everything. Even if you don't think something is important, keep it in mind because chances are it will make a return later.**

 **I know I know, the 'first big issue' was Sonya returning to her body. And no, I'm telling you now, it's actually not an 'issue'. That little twist was mainly put there just so Niki would have the time to get integrated into the pack and have a chance at getting her memories back. Originally I was going to have her hit her head on something (Probably during a battle) And go into a sorta coma and have them come to her that way, but I thought the 'apple of knowledge' was a nice touch. You know I _love_ references.**

 **Anyway, yes, the big dealie is going to be on the dark side, so be prepared, Spoilers! The headman does return.**

 **And one of the reviewers mentioned it was sad for Aoi to be scared off by Touga after he opened his home to them? Let me try to explain: Touga has already claimed Niki as his in his mind. And to have another male try to stake a claim himself on the SAME woman is a very high insult, not to mention it also voices (To Touga anyway) a desire to battle over said woman. Touga took this as a threat to what he claimed as HIS and eliminated the competition like any demon would. The man already knew Touga had his eyes on her just from having his servants and guards keep an eye on Niki while she stayed there. A blind man could see that Touga was interested in her, and you never dispute a demon's claim, ever.**

 **Hope that cleared some things up~ Keep up the reviews, they make me wanna write more and more guys!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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Dinner was an awkward affair, even after things had been explained to the rest of the pack. No one knew what to say, they already suspected Touga would not be leaving with them when the weather finally cleared, and it was a safe bet to say Sesshomaru and Sonya were planning on departing to the west so they could join Rin and Jaken before snow started flying as well. That left Inuyasha, Kagome, Sango, Miroku and Shippo to leave and return to Edo before the same thing.

No one wanted to ask what Niki planned. She barely revealed anything about herself other than small bits here and there, and the only thing they had to go on was the fact she was from the future like Kagome and Sonya. But without the well letting her through, she was stuck in the past. There really wasn't anywhere for her to go, Kagome was determined to ask her to join them in Edo, but with Touga having his eye on her, it was a hard decision to make in the long run. To be totally honest, she wasn't sure if Niki would go with them.

That left only two options for the girl: either stay there with Touga or leave her to wander on her own and find her place in the world by herself. All-in-all it wasn't a happy thought. Even if they only spent maybe a week and a half with her, she was pack, simple as that. She fit in with them better than anywhere else she'd go in life.

In the end, it was left up to her to decide. They just simply had to wait for her to tell them, if she decided to that is. Frowning slightly, Kagome stared gloomily down at her food, her chopsticks hovering over the last bite of rice before she gave up the pretense of eating and simply excused herself from the room.

Looking up, everyone watched the miko leave, each with identical frowns of thought on their own faces. Even Sesshomaru seemed curious to know what Niki planned now that things were beginning to settle down for them. He had heard his mate and Kagome speaking with the Slayer just yesterday about wedding plans and knew that he wouldn't be able to talk the wolf out of participating in the human's wedding. She was simply too close to them for him to convince her otherwise.

It seemed everyone in the pack had finally paired off, leaving his father and the woman he had his eye on alone. _'If Father has his way, it will not be for long, unfortunately.'_ He frowned at the thought and closed his eyes as he pondered over his sire's reaction to Rin. It was obvious he would never leave him alone after meeting the girl. Granted she started out as his ward, but when he finally was truthful to himself, she was more like a pup to him than anything. His father would never let him live it down either.

 _'Perhaps it is best if I keep her away from him for now. At least until he has settled in his own affairs.'_ With a silent snort, he opened his eyes in time to see his brother stand as well and turn to follow the miko. She had been upset, and after mating the girl, it was his job to ensure she was healthy, in mind and body.

He had to admit to himself, reluctantly, his brother seemed to have calmed down now after finally mating her. He seemed a little more mature almost, and it was welcome by all there if they were to speak about it.

Glancing over at Sonya from the corner of his eyes, he felt a small prick of regret in his chest at her sullen expression. She seemed reluctant to leave the pack after he had spoken to her about it before they went to join the others for dinner. But admitted it was probably for the best considering they had left Rin alone long enough.

Yes, she was upset, but there was nothing he could do about it other than let her participate in the wedding for the slayer and monk before they left for the west. It was the least he could do anyhow.

Gripping her chopsticks hard enough to break them, Niki ground her teeth as yet another pair of eyes landed on her with a sad, worried look in them. She had enough of them acting like she was dying for crying out loud! It wasn't the end of the world, and it wasn't like she didn't have a place to stay. She knew full well that Kiade would gladly set her back into her home if she ended up returning to Edo with the others. Not to mention Sonya had said -Much to Sesshomaru's irritation- that if she wanted to stay at the western palace with them she'd put up a room for her. And it wasn't even necessary to ask Touga if she could stay here with him, he obviously wanted her around, even if she didn't want him to want her around the way he did.

In the end, she had more homes than anyone else she knew, so really their worry was pointless. Deciding she had enough of it, Niki placed her chopsticks down with a little more force than necessary, gaining their attention as she straightened her back, eyes narrowed in irritation as they swept around the room at each one there. "Would you all stop acting like I'm dying from some terrible disease? I'll be perfectly fine on my own, and it's not like I don't have anywhere to stay. So stop with the moping and looking at me with those big, sad eyes of yours." Shooting a final glare at all of them, she stood up and strode from the room, intent on finding some peace before she really started chewing on heads.

Touga chuckled lightly, the low rumble catching the attention of his son and mate as they looked at him curiously. "She is correct. It is not like none of you would open your home to her should she need it, no? Leave her be and let her decide what she wants to do now. I am certain she can make that decision on her own." The others, hearing him ducked their heads in shame before nodding quietly. They knew full well they've been acting like she wouldn't know what to do or where to go next when she had proven to them several times that she was perfectly capable on her own.

Touga was right, she had plenty of places to choose from. The only thing she had to worry about is what one would she take. Cheering up slightly at that, Sango flashed a small smile at Miroku before finishing her meal with a better mood than before. It wouldn't do for her to act like this with her wedding only a week away, she should be happy for herself for once instead of worrying about everyone else. The gods could forgive her this one time for being selfish, she was sure of it.

As for Kagome and Inuyasha, they sat in the garden, taking comfort from each other in the moonlight as the rain clouds finally drifted away, leaving the air smelling clean and sweet. They would take the time tomorrow to gather their things and spend just a little more time together with the pack, then the morning after they would leave back to Edo so she and Inuyasha could work on building their own hut before winter arrived. Not to mention she promised Sango to help set up the ceremony too.

Smiling slightly, Kagome cuddled closer to Inuyasha, enjoying his warmth in the cool night air as she pondered over everything that had happened in the past and what will happen in the future. Yes, things would be alright once everything settled down again. She knew it.

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	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

 **Alright first things first: The starred items in this chapter (*) are actual things that happened. I swear with my had over my blackened heart they did, if you don't believe me that's your hang-up. I know it's true and that's what matters, I just thought I'd point that out to you all as just interesting.**

 **Next thing: I know this chapter isn't as angsty as I mentioned in the last note, but I got side-tracked writing. My fingers sorta took a life of their own and made this instead. I think it's a nice little thing to happen though, explains Niki on a deeper level and lets you get a better idea of her and just why she's reluctant to talk about herself.**

 **Ummm As for the content, it's safe really. Nothing bad happens so there's no warning.**

 **I think that's it for now, so onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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Sighing with contentment, Niki adjusted her clothes, simply grateful for the fact that she was once more in her own clothing. After going to the spare room Aoi had originally tried to give her, she decided to just flop on the futon there and mull in her own thoughts for a while only to fall asleep.

Upon waking, she realized she had fallen asleep in the kimono she still wore and somehow gotten it twisted around her legs in her sleep. The second she managed to get herself untangled, Niki had gone to check on her clothes and found, to her delight, they were completely dry.

Now back in her usual clothes, she felt a little more at ease, even with the uncertain looks she continually received from both Kagome and Sonya. Sango was too wrapped up in her thoughts on her approaching wedding to be worried about her. And it was a good thing in Niki's book. Sending a smile -more like a grimace- at Kagome, she settled down to eat breakfast, not missing the small, displeased frown Touga sent her way once seeing what she wore. "So what's the plan for today?"

"Well... We're planning on heading to Edo tomorrow and start preparing for Sango's wedding." Kagome said idly, picking at the food in front of her before flashing a hopeful smile at Niki. "You could come with us and help."

Forcing out a laugh, Niki waved her hands in front of her quickly. "No no no, I don't do weddings. Sorry, no offence or anything, but I don't really care for them is all." A nervous tick made her eye twitch slightly at the mere thought of even being near one of them. Thinking about it almost gave her a rash.

"Oh... Alright." Kagome slumped slightly, knowing there was no way to talk her into going with them and fell back into silence. Huffing under her breath, Niki contemplated leaving the room again like yesterday and just left it alone. It wouldn't make a difference, if anything it would make the poor girl feel worse than she already was.

Huffing again, she picked at her food, not really hungry but going through the motions for appearance's sake. "Anything else to do today?" Without a computer she really had nothing to write with, she knew for a fact she couldn't use the brushes commonly used in this era. So in the end, she was bored. Right out of her skull. At least while travelling around there was something to do, now, not really anything.

"Other than packing, no." Inuyasha grunted, watching Kagome from the corner of his eye as she picked at her food. "Well that's just great, there's nothing to do around here other than wander around or stare at the sky." Niki grumped, making a few smiles break out around the table. She was the 'newest' one to this era, so it made sense she couldn't think of anything to do. "You said you like to read and write, right, Niki?" Kagome spoke up again, making her look up at her with a curious look. "Yea... Why?"

"Well, next time I go back home I'll buy some books and writing stuff for you." The miko smiled brightly, suddenly happy at the thought of doing something for her. "Notebooks, pencils, you name it and I'll get them."

Feeling her ears twitch slightly, Niki chewed on her lower lip for a moment then quietly: "Do you think you could get me some paintbrushes?"

Blinking at her, Kagome tipped her head in thought then suddenly remembered the paint set her mother had gotten her the very birthday she fell down the well, so it sat untouched all this time. "Actually... I have something better, I'll bring it by next time we visit. It won't be until after Sango's wedding though."

"That's fine, I'm sure I'll find something to do. Maybe wander around the village and see what all is there..." She trailed off, the sudden thought of the people not being all too happy about the fact that their headman was replaced. By a demon no less. "Or maybe not."

Sango cast a sympathetic glance over at Niki, knowing full well what she was thinking and shook her head lightly. "I'm sure it won't be too bad."

"I guess so, but you can't be too sure." Shrugging her shoulders, Niki finished off her food and leaned back on her hands, eyes landing on the slayer with a dry look in them. "Besides, that miko I saw the other day didn't look too happy about Touga and others being here either. And at that point they were just visiting."

At that, the rest of the pack exchanged glances, none of them thought too much about the villagers or the miko staying here when they found out Touga took over as headman. Now that Niki brought it up, it cast a rather uncertain light on the subject. "Father, what do you plan on that subject?" Sesshomaru spoke up, making Touga glance over at him then close his eyes in thought. "I've taken a look at the old records Aoi had kept and noticed many of the villagers had paid more than the usual amount to him for extra protection. He had sent a small squadron of his own guards out to patrol the streets rather than the villagers themselves keeping watch."

He paused, deep in thought then continued once again. "I believe dropping the sums they were meant to pay may be received with better humor than expected. The miko..." He trailed off again, unsure exactly what he should do when it came to her then suddenly smiled. "I shall have the shrine completely rebuilt before the snow comes. I believe that should be a well enough peace offering."

Niki smiled slightly and shook her head at his contemplation. Of course he'd find a way to make everyone happy with him replacing the old headman. Already the guards and servants, while uncertain around him, seem to be more at ease. It seemed Aoi had been a wonderful man on the surface, but if the ones that worked under him seemed more relaxed with Touga being in the lead position spoke volumes.

Not to mention the guy felt slimy to be around, like he slithered his way through life with a mask of kind smiles and gentle words. She really couldn't explain it herself, but there had been something... Off about the guy. He was the headman, looked to be about his mid-twenties and was attractive for the most part. Yet he had no wife, why?

Frowning at the turn her thoughts were taking, Niki folded her arms and furrowed her eyebrows. "You know... I think Touga taking over might be a good thing for everyone. There was just something wrong about that guy."

Various heads nodded around the room as the others agreed with her. None of them were as sensitive to the things around them as Sonya, and apparently Niki, were but even they could feel something out of place while staying there. "I just hope things turn out alright. The last thing we need or want is a war over all of this." She added, making another round of nods go around the group.

"Indeed. For now I will do as I said and let everything else that may be fall into place as they come." Touga voiced, making everyone look up at him as he stood up. "I must go and speak with the miko on the matters I stated." With that, he walked from the room without another word, indicating the topic was closed as the others wandered out as well, each heading to their own destinations. Everyone, other than Niki, were going to their rooms to be sure they packed everything needed one last time while she wandered out into the garden once more. The secluded one, not the public one the others could use, she needed time alone so she could think.

Once sure she was completely alone, Niki pulled out the ragged hair tie Kagome lent her what felt like ages ago and tied her hair up in a pony. Casting another look around, she checked the area once more then sat down in the middle of the small garden, her eyes falling closed as she began her breathing exercises. Something she hadn't done for a while if she were completely honest.

As she settled her body into the regular pattern, she focused on her heartbeat, allowing it's sound to echo in her head and drown out all outside noise as she fell into a trance-like state. A small smile pulled at her lips as the world came alive around her, all of her senses other than sight painting everything around her in a vivid picture only she could see.

Everything had it's own color, it's own sound and scent. In her mind, the plants around her became a vivid aqua color, the small animals scurrying around her turning into varying shades of yellow. Finally the darker red of Sesshomaru, Sonya and Inuyasha, each their own shades. Sango, Miroku and Kagome changing into different greens. Allowing her senses to track everything around her, she settled farther into the trance, simply content to relax for the first time in ages.

Yes, she remembered this, this was familiar something she remembered perfectly. _'Psychic, that's right. A lot of people avoided me because I could sense and I knew things before they happened.'_ The vague thought flickered across her mind before vanishing behind the flickers of light in her mind's eye.

Without any idea how long she sat there, Niki finally detected another red heading towards the shiro and guessed it had to be Touga, the feeling was familiar anyhow. Deciding it would be best not to be questioned why she was sitting in the middle of a soaked garden with her eyes closed, she pulled herself back to the surface and opened her eyes with a slight grimace. The sun had moved over the edge of the shiro and shone into the protected area, making her realize it had to be hours she had sat there.

Getting up, she brushed the mud from her pants the best she could and wandered back inside, intent on visiting the small hot spring she had spotted out behind the building just yesterday. No one had known it was there, aside from the demons who most likely smelled it now that she thought about it. Frowning at that thought, Niki shook her head and gathered the cleaning supplies Kagome had been kind enough to part with once it became apparent she wouldn't be leaving with them. A brand new bottle of shampoo, conditioner and body wash that would last her a long time.

Whistling to herself, she draped a clean drying cloth over her shoulder followed by a spare change of clothes Sonya had gifted her with a wry smile, saying she knew for a fact Sesshomaru would start nagging her to dress 'properly' once they moved to the western palace. Happy and at peace, she slid open the door and checked the area for anyone that might be there then shut it behind her.

With a happy smile, she stripped quickly and slid into the steaming water with a sigh of comfort. "Ohhh yeah, I can get used to this." Dipping her head in the water, she soaked her hair then sat back up and simply relaxed against the edge, her chin resting on her arms as she closed her eyes, simply happy to just soak for a while in the mineral rich water.

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Shifting slightly where she sat, Sonya frowned at the unfamiliar wash of something drifting over her senses once again before it faded away completely. For the past three hours she had felt this odd sensation off and on continually and couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was. Just as it was beginning to drive her crazy, it had vanished, leaving her even more tense than before it started.

Sesshomaru had wandered off into his father's study, saying something about looking over the papers in order to know what he might need to do to help his sire should he ask for it. _'Which is his excuse for being a snoop.'_ Sonya thought wryly and got to her feet, curious to find out if anyone else felt what she did, or if it was just a psychic wolf thing.

Poking her head out the door, she sniffed the air before catching Kagome's scent and headed towards it, hands tucked into the pockets of her pants as she loped along the hallway, at ease now she knew whatever that was apparently wasn't coming back for now. Reaching the door her friend's scent came from, she knocked lightly then slid it open at Kagome's quiet answer. Seeing her sitting on the edge of the futon, she shook her head and wandered over, plopping down on the padded bed and simply waited for her to talk.

Within a few minutes she was rewarded with a soft sigh. "I'm going to miss her."

Sonya let herself fall back on the futon and let out a dry laugh, making Kagome look back at her with a sad smile. "Yeah, me too. Not every day you meet a human look-alike."

"It's not just that and you know it."

"I know."

Falling silent they both let the thoughts of their newest friend wander through their thoughts. "She seems pretty aware."

"No kidding. It's almost weird to look at her and know she has the same vague sense. It's almost like we have the same mind." Sonya looked up at the ceiling, hands tucked behind her head as she relaxed. "But, if she's like me like we all think of her as, then there's no changing her mind."

"I guess so." They both fell silent again, not sure what else to say when Sonya suddenly sat up and gained Kagome's attention again. "Right, almost forgot why I came in here in the first place. Did you feel anything... I dunno weird the past couple of hours?" Turning to her friend, she watched her frown in thought then nod slowly. "It was faint, but almost like a slow pulsing...?"

"Exactly! I wasn't sure if anyone else felt it though." Sonya frowned and folded her arms and legs, deep in thought as Kagome got to her feet and walked over to her bag to begin searching through it. "I wonder if Miroku felt it too, if you did, then it's a safe bet he might have too."

"He might have, we're around the same level of awareness." Kagome agreed, sitting back as she pulled out a bag of sweets then crawled over to sit next to Sonya once more, leaving the open bag on the floor between them as they spoke. "I don't know what it was or where it came from though, it almost felt like it was everywhere."

"Exactly, I couldn't tell where it was either, just that it was here." Sonya shook her head and popped a caramel in her mouth to chew on thoughtfully. "Hey, where is Niki anyway? You'd think she'd at least get something from all of that if I can." She added, looking around the room like she suspected the mentioned girl to pop up out of nowhere.

"I don't know, she went to her room and I haven't seen her since." Kagome shrugged, popping a candy in her mouth as well and leaned back, relaxing on the futon as she stared at the ceiling. "Maybe she found that hot spring out back."

Hearing this, Kagome sat upright and stared wide-eyed at her friend, mouth hanging open and candy almost falling out. "What? There's a hot spring here?! Why didn't you say anything!" Jumping up, she started gathering her bathing supplies, ignoring Sonya's snort of amusement as she watched.

"Well, you didn't ask so I didn't see the point in telling you." Sonya grinned at the glare Kagome shot her way and got to her feet as well, deciding it was better than nothing to join her in the hot water and relax before being subjected to countless stares she knew she would get once they got to the western palace. Something she wasn't really looking forward to, what she was anticipating was seeing Rin again and tormenting Jaken.

Grinning to herself, she trailed behind Kagome as the miko attempted to search out the door leading to the back of the shiro, not even thinking to ask for Sonya's directions as she opened door after door.

"Oh, Sango! I have great news, there's a hot spring here!" Hearing her friend's happy chirp, Sonya looked over at her to see both Kagome and Sango standing just a little ways down the hall, talking excitedly for a moment then they disappeared into Sango's room to gather her own supplies and headed back out into the hall. "Well?"

Raising an eyebrow at Kagome's expectant stare, Sonya held back a laugh and pointed in the direction they should take then resumed trailing behind her friends as they chatted with each other about the prospect of soaking in the spring. Kagome telling Sango it would be good for her skin before the wedding and Sango blushing at what she was insinuating what would take place afterwards. Shaking her head, Sonya felt a small, sad smile slip onto her face at the sight. _'I'm gonna miss this.'_

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The sound of a door being slid open brought Niki out of her doze and look up at all three girl's she had befriended all staring down at her with varying looks of amusement. "Shut up, I'm comfortable." She mumbled and put her head back down for a moment as they undressed and slipped into the water themselves. Silently she thanked whatever gods there were that the spring was big enough for them plus three more people, Niki turned around and leaned her back against the rock as the girl's settled in.

"So... I see you found the hot spring too." She said idly, combing a hand through her hair with a small grin as Kagome tossed a glare in Sonya's direction, answering her earlier assumptions that the demon's knew it was here all along.

"Yes, no thanks to the wolf." Kagome sniffed, her hands combing through her hair too. Sonya on the other hand raised her hands out of the water in a placating gesture and stayed silent, a wide grin in place on her face as she began running her fingers through the fur on her tails. "I told you, you didn't ask me."

"You could have said it anyway."

"Why? So you could soak away your skin in here while we stayed?"

"You know I love a hot bath, and waiting for the servants to heat up the water and bring it into the bathing room doesn't count."

"Yeah yeah, I'll make it up to you somehow."

Shaking her head at the playful banter, Niki leaned her head back and closed her eyes with a relaxed sigh. "Hey, Sango. Did you feel anything weird earlier?" That question, however, made her body tense back up. _'Shit, I didn't think they'd actually feel that...'_

"Hmm... I can't say I did. But Miroku mentioned some odd energy pulsing around the shiro."

"Weird, Sonya felt it too..." As the other women fell silent, Niki silently cursed herself and began shampooing her hair with almost violent actions. _'Stupid! Stupid, stupid stupid!'_

"Niki?"

Jumping at the sound of her name, she looked up at Kagome and blinked at her. "Yeah?"

"Did you feel anything weird?"

Her eyes flicked over to where Sonya sat, blue clashing with blue as they locked stares for a moment then dropped them back down to the water. "I can't say I did." 'It's not really a lie, I can't feel what I do, now can I?'

"Then why are you acting all jumpy?" Sonya however seemed to have guessed properly, making her deflate slightly. Ducking under the water, she rinsed the soap from her hair and came back up, slicking the stray strands back over her head and frowned at the stares she was receiving. "Alright, fine it was me."

Kagome and Sango both blinked in surprise, Sonya being the only one to suspect her simply stared at her, waiting for an explanation she knew would soon follow. Niki chewed on her lower lip for a moment then ran a hand over her hair nervously. "Look, it's not like I knew any of you would sense it, so don't go getting mad at me for something I don't really have any say over having." She started with, making all three of them frown this time.

"Why would we be mad? We're just surprised you could do something like that... What was it anyway?" Sonya drew her eyebrows together in confusion. Why on earth would she think they'd get angry over something like that?

"Well, it's just people normally give me a wide berth. That's all." Raising one shoulder up, Niki shrugged and watched the soap swirling in the water for a moment. "I don't really know myself, I just do it that's all. I go into a sort of trance and everything around me is mapped out in my head with color. I 'see' everything and everyone within a certain range. It's not just that though, most of the time I can sorta guess or sense if something's going to happen. Once I woke up knowing my brother was going to visit that day and within two hours he had knocked on the door." *****

Continuing with her staring contest in the water, Niki bit her lip again then continued in a softer voice. "And another time I told this guy I had just met that day about his brother's death before I even knew he had a brother. I mean, I didn't know it was his brother, I just told him there was a wreck at an intersection with someone on a motorbike and a purple two door car. I even mentioned the guy on the bike wore a hat and I swear all the color left his face." She frowned and shrugged her shoulders again in a almost helpless gesture. "After I told him all of that, he sorta stayed quiet then said his brother died while riding his bike. A purple car didn't stop at the intersection like it should have and plowed right into him." *****

All of the girls fell silent after that, each of them thinking over what Niki had just revealed to them only to be broken by Kagome clapping her hands with a bright smile. "That's great though, it means we were right when we said there was something special about you." Niki blinked up at the miko in confusion as the girl waded over to where she sat and hugged her around the shoulders tight. "We're not weirded out or anything over it. I think it's cool you can do stuff like that, I wish I could sometimes. It'd make travelling a lot easier."

A small smile flickered around the edges of Niki's lips as she looked shyly up at Kagome. "You think so?"

"Of course, idiot. Why the hell would we be weirded out? I mean, we have a slayer here that's friends with more than one demon. A miko that's mated to a half demon and can travel through time then there's me, the oddball demon that's one of a kind, literally I might add, and traveled through time herself. So stop moping around like you think everyone's gonna reject you." Sonya shook her head theatrically and flashed a wide grin over at Niki as she shifted where she sat, a small blush pinking her cheeks. "Besides, I'm psychic myself, so it's really not that weird."

"I guess you're right." Niki murmured, her eyes drifting down to the water, the same shy smile on her face as she resumed washing, easily falling into the chatter of the other three asking her various questions about herself she didn't feel too worried about answering for once. Now that one of the big problems was out of the way, it made talking easier in the long run. _'If only I had known this before, I'd have said something sooner.'_ Niki shook her head and followed the girls as they got out of the water and began drying off so they could be ready for the noon meal. For once, she felt like she was part of something, this pack was her family now and she definitely felt better than ever with that thought.

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	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

 **And here's the next chapter~ A little sad and has feels in it, so be warned on that. (Actually it's not that feelsy) Things are finally falling into place now I got most of the minor details out of the way. Hopefully I'll manage to start the main action soon, my fingers keep taking a life of their own when I write, so there's no telling what will happen.**

 **Not really anything else to say, so onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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Dinner that night was a noisy affair, everyone talking and laughing as they enjoyed the last night together. Niki laughed and shoved Sonya lightly when she tried stealing a bit of food from her tray, her own chopsticks reaching over to pluck a vegetable from Inuyasha's when he wasn't looking, making Kagome and Shippo laugh loudly.

A wide smile stuck on her face, Niki watched as the pack spoke with one another, Sesshomaru with his Father, Inuyasha and Kagome bickering lightly about something or another, Sango and Miroku making eyes at each other while she and Sonya continually stole food from each other's plates. This was the nosiest the dining room had been since they arrived, all of them laughing and talking as the night wore on. None of them wanted to go to bed because morning would bring their departure.

While the moon slowly made it's way across the sky, the room fell silent one by one as each of them started nodding off into sleep in the middle of conversation. Touga cast a glance over at Niki and chuckled, nodding over at her when Sesshomaru sent a questioning glance over at him. Looking over himself, he spotted Sonya and Niki both leaning on each other, fast asleep with chopsticks still held loosely in their hands.

Shaking his head, he moved to take Sonya to her room only to have his father stop him with a hand on the shoulder. "Let them be, it will be a long time before they spend time together again." He murmured quietly, his gaze roaming over to where Sango and Miroku lay, Shippo fast asleep between the two of them, Kagome had nodded off first, her head ending up on Inuyasha's lap when she did.

The three family members shared exasperated looks at their human pack members ability to fall asleep anywhere, Sonya wasn't considered being as she could fall asleep walking, she had once in fact, so it was no surprise to them.

Settling back into a more comfortable position, Sesshomaru closed his eyes, enjoying the near silence of the room, soft breathing and in some cases, snoring, sounding around them. "Sesshomaru, how do you expect the court to accept your mate?" His father's voice brought him back into the present world and made his eyes open. "I expect them to treat her with respect." He stated simply, the undertone of his voice warning that if they didn't, there would be hell to pay.

Touga snorted with amusement and shook his head lightly, silver hair swishing across the floor behind him. "I see."

Falling silent once again, father and both sons turned to their own thoughts, simply content to let the pack sleep around them as the night wore on.

* * *

Groaning softly, Niki turned away from the gentle shaking of her shoulder and cuddled into her pillow, trying to fall back asleep as the hand descended again to shake her shoulder once more. "No, I wanna sleep, leave me be you dog." She muttered, her eyebrows pinching slightly as she clutched the pillow tighter, idly wondering why it moved as well then shrugged it off.

A few moments of peace nearly let her fall back into sleep only to have her pillow jolt and jerk her awake as well. Blinking eyes open, she narrowed them at the shirt in front of her. "Hmm..?"

Looking up she locked eyes with Sonya as they both shook the sleep from their minds. Finally realizing just what her pillow was, Niki flashed a wry grin at the sleepy wolf. "You make a remarkably soft pillow, you know that?"

Sonya laughed and pushed her off as she sat up, ignoring the groan of irritation as Niki flopped onto the floor. "Shut up, you weirdo." Looking up at Touga, she quirked an eyebrow at his amused gaze directed at Niki as she attempted to curl up in a ball and fall back asleep with a soft mumble of "Irritating people waking up at ungodly hours."

"It is a decent hour actually..." Kagome yawned from where she sat up, a hand lifting up so she could check the watch on her wrist through narrow eyes. "it's ten."

"There is no such thing as ten in the morning, there is only eleven." Niki muttered, earning soft laughter from the others as they stretched the sleep from their muscles. Touga, realizing she wouldn't willingly get up without a little push simply picked her up and set her on her feet, holding onto her shoulders as she swayed slightly, a frown on her face pointed up at him. "Bad dog."

Raising an eyebrow, he ignored the snicker from Sonya and lead her over to one of the cushions and let her sit back down. "I believe tea is in order." He glanced at the servant standing in the door, a small smile hovering around her lips as she watched the pack the workers in the house had gotten used to over the week slowly woke up. "Yes, milord." She bowed lightly and turned to retrieve the drink with a little giggle. The group of people may be odd and unusual, but they were kind and rather funny to watch at times.

Shaking his head, Touga turned his attention back to Niki as she rubbed her eyes in an attempt to wake up. "Mmm..." Crouching down in front of her, he waited until she dropped her hands and let a small smile of his own hover around his lips. "Have you awoken?"

"No, I'm still asleep and this is a bad dream where an annoying dog tries to wake me up before I'm ready to." Niki snipped, making the smile drop from his face and eyes narrow slightly. Sonya clapped Touga on the shoulder with a grin plastered across her face, drawing his attention from the woman in front of him. "Just leave her alone right now, I don't think she likes waking up."

Growling under her breath, Niki flopped over on her side with a huff. "No I don't."

Glancing down at her, Touga decided to take Sonya's advice and got back to his feet, leaving her alone as he walked over to where Sesshomaru stood and eyed Kagome yawning repeatedly. "I do not believe I have met a female like this when she wakes."

"Don't take it personally, some people just like to wake up on their own. She's one of them." Sonya shrugged, moving over to lean against Sesshomaru, her arms folded and eyes locked onto Niki as she sat back up with a frown. "I slept in my glasses."

"Yes, you did."

"They're smudged..."

"Looks like it."

Niki looked over at Sonya and frowned, pointing a finger at her. "I blame your comfortable stomach."

Bursting out in laughter, Sonya ignored Sesshomaru's irritated growl and doubled over, tears pricking at the corners of her eyes as she gasped for air. "I... Don't think... I ever had... Anyone blame... Me for something... Like that." She managed to gasp out amid the laughter, one hand clutching onto Sesshomaru's arm to keep her balance and the other holding her stomach.

An unwilling smile tugged at Niki's lips as she watched her with vague amusement. The door sliding back open announced the return of the servant, holding a tray of tea and cups as she walked into the room and settled it down for the others, her own smile pulling at her lips. "The tea you asked for, milord."

"Appreciated." Touga dismissed her with a nod and reached for the tea himself, pouring out a cup and handing it off to Niki as she walked over. "Well..." She mused, studying the liquid idly. "It's not coffee, but I suppose it'll do."

"Coffee?" Sango finally spoke up, making her look over at the slayer with a frown. "Oh, that's right, you lot won't find out about coffee for a while. At least not until the trades begin."

"Oh man, I'd give anything for a cup of coffee. I'd give up my place as Lady for a cup right now." Sonya sighed dreamily, making Sesshomaru look at her in bemusement. Kagome sighed herself, eyes far away as she imagined going home for a cup right now then clapped her hands. "I know! I'll buy some instant coffee and bring it to you next chance I get!"

This announcement was met with two girlish squeals and two pairs of arms wrapping around the miko tightly as Sonya and Niki reacted instantly, their movements copied by the other as they started rubbing their cheek on one of Kagome's. "I love you, Kags. I love you so much right now, I'd take you in a heartbeat if I wasn't claimed already." Sonya sighed, Niki simply clinging to the poor woman as she profusely thanked her over and over again.

Holding back the strong urge to sigh at his mate's antics, Sesshomaru plucked the woman from Kagome and held her at bay when she attempted to go back and hug her more. Niki on the other hand continued to cling to the increasingly embarrassed miko. Inuyasha, having had enough people cling to his new mate, female or not, simply tugged her away from Niki and hid her behind his back.

"Hmph." Sticking her tongue out at the hanyou, Niki turned on her heel and stalked back over to her seat. Flopping down, she picked up the cooled cup of tea and took a small sip with a sigh. Once the room had settled down once again, everyone settled down with their own cups of tea, trying to enjoy the last morning they had before leaving.

"Niki, are you sure you won't come with us to Edo? We could always use more help with the wedding. I need someone to help with decorations." Kagome once more tried to coax her into leaving with them as Niki shifted in her seat. "No. I don't do weddings..." She trailed off, suddenly appearing embarrassed. "Besides, I already made something for them." She added quietly, making both Sango and Kagome raise an eyebrow at her as she stood up. "I'll be right back."

Looking over at Kagome, Sango saw her friend shrug her shoulders and sip her tea, simply deciding to wait for Niki to return before the questions started flying. A few moments later, she reappeared holding a bag of sorts in her hands, a small tinge of pink decorating her cheeks as she held it out to Sango, determinedly looking away as the slayer took it from her.

"I don't like weddings, but it's not like I won't contribute." Niki finally said, still looking away as Sango opened the bag curiously and blinked down at what she found inside. "Oh my..."

Reaching inside, she pulled out a long string of paper cranes, her eyes growing wider as she kept pulling it out. "Holy crap, Niki. How many did you make?" Sonya leaned forward, her own eyes wide as Sango finally tipped the bag over to let the rest of the cranes fall out.

"Well... To be honest I've been working on them since Kagome mentioned the wedding the other day." Niki rubbed her nose shyly, her eyes flicking over to meet Sango's gaze then back down to the cup of tea she held. "There's a thousand of them. There's some story that if you make a thousand cranes and make the same wish each time you finish one, it'll come true. So I wished you two would have a long, happy marriage."

Stunned into silence at her statement, Sango felt tears welling in her eyes as she looked back down at the long chain of cranes, the thoughtfulness of the gift touching her deeply as she took in the full meaning behind it. "Oh, Niki." She sobbed suddenly, pushing the cranes aside and nearly flinging herself into the startled woman's arms, crying into her shirt as Niki patted her back awkwardly. "Hey, don't cry over something like that. I mean, not like I built you a house or anything." She muttered, severely embarrassed as Miroku himself came over and wrapped her into a hug too, for once not attempting to grope her or Sango as he expressed his deep thanks.

Looking pleadingly over at Kagome, she felt herself deflate once she saw the tears in her eyes too and simply sighed, one arm reaching out to her, knowing full well she wanted to hug her as well and nearly groaned as another bulk of weight piled on.

"Come on now, don't crush me." She finally muttered, her patience finally reaching it's peak as she pushed them away from her. As the three of them sat back down, she watched with a small smile as they examined the cranes closely, happy despite the embarrassment that she did something to cheer them up before they left.

"Wait, there's something written on them." Kagome piped up suddenly, making Niki laugh as they attempted to make out the words despite the fact they were folded. Finally giving up, she and Sango looked over at her in question. "It's just the wish I made. I figured it'd be better if it was written down too." She said sheepishly, a hand rubbing at her hair as they laughed and started putting the chain away.

Touga was silent, still speechless at the gift she had given them. It was much better than the one he planned on giving. Frowning at the thought of being outshone, he let out a silent huff and sat back, ignoring the knowing look his eldest sent his way. He had planned on giving the slayer and monk funds for their new life. Granted he planned on doing the same with Inuyasha and Kagome as a late mating gift to them. Sesshomaru didn't need them considering he was the western lord.

But the gift she gave them, was full of thoughtful preparation as well as taking her several hours to make. It would seem every moment she was alone and in her room, she had made them. That would explain the servant he saw carrying paper into her room yesterday. He had assumed she was trying to write, but he had been wrong. Folding his arms, he felt the bag of coins he planned on giving the two couples jingle softly.

It would seem he should have thought deeper into the gift he planned on giving them. He knew they would be just as moved by his gift, but the one Niki had taken the time to make and put together would last a lifetime, if not longer, and that would stick in their minds much longer than the money he would give them.

 _'It would seem this woman has beaten me.'_ He mused, eyeing Niki as she laughed and shook her head at some question Sango asked her, the usual cheer she had making it's appearance after she had given them her gift.

* * *

A hour later found all of them standing at the gates to the shiro, Niki and Touga facing the rest of the pack as they hesitated on the road. "Be careful." Niki murmured to Sonya as the wolf grabbed her up into a tight hug, not really willing to leave her, but knowing there was no way to talk her out of it. "Don't worry about me, it's Sesshomaru you have to worry about. I'm afraid I'll drive him crazy now it'll just be us for a while." She laughed, shooting a wry look over at her mate as he shifted slightly at the sound of his name.

Laughing herself, Niki shook her head and turned to Kagome next while Sonya hugged Touga in turn. "Keep an eye on that dog of yours, Kagome." She teased lightly, making her blush and shake her head before pulling her into a hug too. "Don't get too bored." Kagome teased back, making Niki roll her eyes and shake her own head. "No luck there."

As they said their goodbyes, after another round of profuse thanks from both Sango and Kagome as Touga gifted them with the bags of gold, the pack began heading off leaving Touga and Niki standing at the gates a moment longer. "Shall we go back in?" She finally asked, not bothering to look up at the demon beside her, eyes still locked onto the disappearing backs of her friends with a sad smile on her face. Glancing down at her, Touga frowned in thought then turned to the village instead. Already the villagers were at ease in his presence, each nodding in respect to him as they passed. The moment he had the chance, he had sent several messengers out to alert them of his taking over as headman along with the drop in payment they would need to give out. Changing it instead to a small amount of food from each household, a certain percentage of what they had, even if it was only a small bag of rice, they would only need to contribute one cup to him.

The miko had seemed wary at first when he arrived at the temple, but after a few moments of letting him explain himself, she had relaxed completely and accepted the change he had made towards her. After a few questions, he had found out to his distaste, Aoi had bribed the miko to conduct a wedding ceremony that had long past years ago. One where the female did not have rights to deny the claim or pledge.

Increasingly glad he had taken over, he waved away her offer to conduct a normal wedding for himself and Niki, having been under the impression they were betrothed and left to return to the shiro. One day was all it took for him to calm the villagers and miko and settled into place as headman with ease. It was not as difficult or time consuming to be lord of the western lands, but it was similar enough to put him at ease.

Turning his attention back to Niki, he held out his arm with a mischievous twinkle in his eye. "Perhaps we could walk in the village instead?"

Casting a suspicious look at his gesture then up at his face, Niki narrowed her eyes before shaking her head and smiling herself. Granted she didn't like his constant attempts at flirting, she couldn't really deny him this, he seemed too damn happy for her to ruin. Slipping her hand shyly into place, she let him lead her out into the roads, her eyes roaming everywhere at once to take in the sights.

It seemed this village was more well off than most others they had passed while traveling. There even seemed to be a trading and sales area, as well as a blacksmith. Seeing this, she paused and furrowed her brows in thought. Touga followed her gaze and raised an eyebrow at the sight of several weapons laid out for viewing. Resigning himself to wait for her to gather his thoughts, he lead her over to see them up close, curious to see how well this human was at forging weapons.

"I want to learn how to fight." Niki finally stated, bringing him up short as she studied a short sword curiously. "I can't depend on everyone to take care of me all the time. What if I decide I want to go somewhere on my own?" She added after seeing his inquisitive gaze, her head nodding towards the sword that held her attention. "I can shoot a bow, not very well though. And a sword is completely new to me. But I want to learn, i could use the exercise not to mention it'd help me keep from being bored."

Turning his gaze back to the weapons, Touga thought over her explanation before nodding in agreement. "I can understand the need to protect oneself." Seeing her smile wide out of the corner of his eye, he held back a grin. "However you will need to train and gather strength enough in order to use any weapon." Hearing this, the smile fell from Niki's face, replaced by a grimace. "I guess so."

Laughing at her expression, Touga lead her away from the stall and back towards the Shiro. He would speak to the captain of his new guard and ask about someone to take time from their schedule to train the woman at his side. He knew it would be met with plenty of skepticism. But, if he knew her half as well as he thought he did, she would train as hard as any male, and that would be enough to convince the man to put someone up as trainer.

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	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

 **Welp here you go guys, it's kinda dry cuz I'm still pondering just what to do at the moment, but for now you can enjoy Niki's suffering at the hands of her 'teacher'. *snicker***

 **Anyway, nothing to warn you about so go on and read, I don't really have much to say anyway.**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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Shifting from one foot to the other, Niki eyed the young man in front of her as he did the same, both unsure as to exactly what to do as they faced off in the front courtyard. Eyes pulling themselves away from the guy, she cast a quick glance around the area and let out a small huff. Not to mention word had gotten around quickly about her wanting to learn how to fight and now nearly every servant and guard happened to find something to do in the area as they spied on them.

"To be forward, Lady. I find it difficult to believe a woman would be able to train and learn how to fight properly." Her so-called teacher finally spoke, making Niki narrow her eyes at him in a glare. "And to go on, I do not believe you will make it past this day. I swore to teach you, however, so I will do so. But if you do not show up tomorrow morning to continue, I will be able to return to my duties." Folding his arms, he sized up the scowling woman in front of him with a critical eye. Of course he couldn't truly tell what type of shape she was in with the baggy -strange- clothing she wore.

"I believe to start, you can run two rounds in the courtyard at top speed so I may adjust your training." He stated simply, a stiff nod accompanying what he had said. Raising an eyebrow, Niki looked around the courtyard with amusement. It wasn't small, but it wasn't too big either, two rounds would possibly be the same length as one round on the track back at her old high school, a quarter of a mile. It was the only thing she knew she could do, of course the longest she was able to run at top speed before she began slowing down was one and a half rounds, but still, she didn't live in the middle of the woods at that point.

Shrugging her shoulders, she tied back her hair, making sure to keep it from her face and knelt down to tighten the chord around her ankles to keep her pants from dragging on the ground. With a final glance at the kid, she knelt like a runner at a start line and tensed her muscles, coiling them up for the start. Once she was balanced and prepared to leap forward, she straightened up and went to spring forth in a burst of speed-

"Halt!"

And ended up windmilling her arms instead to keep from planting face-first in the dirt. Balance restored, she shot a withering glare at her 'teacher' as he stalked over, eyes narrowed in observation. _"What?"_ Niki snapped in irritation, ignoring the look she received, planting her hands on her hips as she glared right back.

"That... Position." He finally managed to spit out in hesitation, and if she wasn't going insane, she could swear his cheeks were pink too. "Is highly unfitting for a lady such as you."

"Unfitting? That position is a prime coil of the muscles needed to run. It tenses them in preparation for the strain they're about to exert. On top of that, it also allows me to gather the strength I need to run at top speed nearly from the moment I start running." Niki growled, a finger poking at his chest as she advanced on him. "If you can't handle my odd ways, then I suggest you hang up your sword now and walk out that gate because I will not be told how I should hold myself while training as well. If I feel comfortable doing something then you tell me to change it because you don't like the way I look, I will not listen no matter how much you yell. Now I suggest you back up, sit down and let me do my damn run!"

Blinking his eyes several times, her teacher gaped open-mouthed at Niki as she spun around on her heel and marched back to where she had been moments ago in almost a military fashion and resumed her position once more. "If you don't like it, look away." She added over her shoulder, eyes narrowed in concentration before she frowned and straightened back up. Thinking for a moment, she walked back over to him and plucked her glasses from her face and held them out to him. "Hold onto these, last thing I need is to have them flying off my face while I'm running."

With that, she walked back away once he closed a hesitant hand around the strange object carefully and once more resumed her starting position. "Say when."

Studying the thing she called 'glasses' for a moment, he shrugged and placed them in his pocket carefully and sent a reluctant glance over where she crouched, her hind end up in the air. Granted, he couldn't bear to look at her like that, he could easily see what she had mentioned. The muscles in her back seemed to be tensed as if ready to spring forward and propel her. He couldn't quite judge the muscle in her legs being as they were covered with baggy cloth.

Coughing lightly, he looked away and up at the sky. "Begin." With that, Niki sprung forward, frown of concentration on her face as she sprinted around the courtyard, leaving a few of the guards in awe as she blew past them. Almost from the first step she took, it seemed she was at top speed, perhaps there was something to that rather suggestive position after all.

Her teacher blinked as she raced past the starting point in only a couple of minutes at most and continued around once more. He had expected a jog perhaps, maybe running for a few moments, as to be expected from a lady, but this woman seemed to be much more than he expected. Reluctantly clapping his hands, he watched as she slowed to a stop once she reached the start once more, her hands pressed against her knees as she wheezed for air. "I do not like to be taken by surprise, Lady. But I must reluctantly say you are surprising in a rather good way."

Stopping, he eyed Niki as she waved a hand at him, her other one pressing against her chest as she struggled to breathe, eyebrows drawn together as she calmed down her heart slowly. _'Damn, forgot about that.'_ She finally thought, picking up on the faint whistle in her throat as she sucked down another mouthful of air. _'Too bad I don't have an inhaler.'_

"Lady?" Her teacher frowned suddenly, finally detecting something wrong with Niki as she plopped down on the ground, her legs outstretched as she leaned back on her arms. Flashing him with a wry smile, she shook her head quietly, not wanting to waste air on talking at the moment. After a few more seconds, she managed to settle her heart and leaned forward with a sigh. "I'm fine." Coughing out that, she looked back up at her teacher, a wry smile on her face. "Don't worry about it."

"But, Lady. If you are not well, you should be taken to the healer-"

"One: I'm _not_ a Lady, so quit with that crap. And two: I told you I'm fine, it's something called asthma, nothing serious, just makes it hard to breathe sometimes, I'll be fine. See look, I'm talking without whistling." Niki narrowed her eyes at him as he seemed to hesitate. "Don't you dare try to call off my training because of a little breathing problem. It's just like any muscle, it's weak because I rarely ran as a kid, so my throat doesn't know what to do right now. After a few days of this, I'm positive it'll clear right up. Now stop your lollygagging and help me up, my legs feel like pudding."

Looking down at her, he sighed and offered a hand to help Niki back to her feet. "Very well, but if this continues to this extreme today, I will halt all training until it clears. Am I understood?" Looking into her eyes, he made sure she knew he was serious, her own blue widening slightly then narrowing in thought.

Smiling lightly, she nodded and waved a hand. "Alright alright, I swear. Now let's get going, I hate standing around like this."

* * *

With a heavy groan, Niki swore under her breath as she tried to lift the bucket of sand her psychotic teacher had her weightlifting with once more. "Lift this over your head ten times. He says. That'll be easy, I said. What the hell made me think this would be easy?" Growling in frustration, she ignored the amused look he sent her way and hefted it to her chest and lifted it over her head with shaky arms. _"Ten!"_ With that, she let it drop off to the side and let her arms fall to her sides, dead. "I did it."

Looking up from the scroll he was reading, her teacher eyed the sand scattered across the ground then back up at her face, a gleam in his eye Niki had learned to hate. "Clean the sand then you may go. Every grain must be picked up and put back in the bucket before returning inside." After saying this, he stood and bowed at her before turning and vanishing into the shiro himself, probably going to tell Touga how she did and how horrible she was. Shooting a glare at anyone staring, she knelt down on the ground and began sweeping the sand back into the bucket with screaming arms. " _Pick up the sand_. I'll show him sand, shove it right down his stupid pants when he isn't looking."

Continuing to grumble under her breath, Niki piled the sand back into the bucket and set it off to the side. Sighing softly, she checked the ground then slowly got to her feet, intent on claiming the hot spring as her sanctuary for the next hour or so in order to relieve the stress in her muscles.

Reaching the door, she paused, hating the thought of lifting her arm yet again to even open it when it slid open itself. Blinking her eyes, she stared into the shiro with a small frown. "I didn't know automatic doors were even around right now."

A low chuckle drew her attention off to the side where Touga stood, hand still on the door from where he opened it. "I believe you may require some help?"

"No, I can manage fine on my own." She snipped back and straightened her spine before limping down the hallway on sore legs towards her room. Touga chuckled again, his head shaking slightly at the sight then looked down at her teacher. "You had requested I train her like any new recruit would be trained, milord." He stated before the demon could open his mouth, a nervous air about him as he shifted slightly. "I have done as you asked."

"Indeed. I merely wished to say you have done well. Her temper is like no other and I wondered if you could handle it." Touga grinned at the weary expression on the boy's face. It would seem Niki had worn him out as much as he did her with the usual ranting. He could hear her yelling all the way in the study where he had been earlier.

"Yes, Milord. For a woman, she has... A rather colorful use of words." Grimacing at some of the insults she had come up with during the day, he continued. "But, she seems to be intent on this, I will continue to train her as long as she appears before me each morning like I requested."

"Hmm..." Touga turned his gaze back down the hall where Niki had vanished, wondering just how she would take it that she would have to wake up at daybreak each morning if she wished to learn how to fight. "Milord, there is a concern however. It would seem her breathing is troubled when she exerts herself to a point."

Hearing this, Touga brought his eyes back down to the man once more, gold narrowing slightly in thought before nodding for him to continue. "She had called it... Assmah? I cannot say I repeated it correctly, but had reassured me this would go away after some time of physical activity. I however suspect she may have lied at least a small amount."

Nodding his head, Touga dismissed the young guard to return to his duties and walked back into his study. The word he had said was not one he was familiar with, meaning it may be one used in the future where Kagome and Sonya both lived as well. Perhaps it would be prudent to ask about this assmah and ask if there is a way to fix it.

* * *

Niki stared at the food in front of her, mouth watering as her stomach growled in protest at being empty for so long. But her arms throbbed even after a hour-long soak in the hot spring. Granted they didn't feel as bad as before, the mere thought of lifting them and gripping a pair of chopsticks to eat nearly brought tears to her eyes.

'Gotta do this, you can do this. Grit your teeth and bear it, Niki.' She coaxed herself silently, watching intently as her hand shakily grabbed the chopsticks clumsy and slowly grabbed a piece of food to lift to her mouth. Halfway there, they slipped, dropping the bit of meat back down into it's bowl. "Damn it." Growling under her breath, she picked up the bowl and lifted it to just under her mouth. Without a care in the world for manners, she began simply scooping the food into her mouth, completely ignoring what she knew to be a knowing smile on Touga's face while she ate.

"Training went well, I presume?" He finally asked once she set down the now-empty bowl, a satisfied look on her face at defeating some foe he couldn't see. "Apparently." Sending a dry look over at him, she lifted a cup of tea and took a sip before setting it back down. "The man is a slave driver, but I suppose it'll be worth it in the end."

"He mentioned you seemed to have trouble breathing."

Pausing in the action of picking up another bowl, Niki swore silently at her teacher's big mouth and sent a frown over at Touga. "Yes, but like I said, it'll get better over time. I can't exactly stop something I was born with."

Rubbing his chin in thought, Touga leaned back, eyes drifting up towards the ceiling before he spoke again. "This assmah you spoke of, it is a word from your time?"

Swallowing a mouthful of rice, Niki eyed him warily and nodded slightly. "Yea..?"

"Then there may be a way to fix this from your time?"

Blinking slightly, Niki smiled and shook her head. "Your sharp, you know that? Yes, there's a medicine there called an Inhalant, it's medicine you breathe in like... Well like steam I guess. It relaxes the muscles in my throat so they don't block my air when my Asthma kicks in."

"Could Kagome retrieve some?" Turning his gaze back to Niki, Touga watched as she shifted slightly in her seat, a frown pulling at her lips. "Not exactly, a doctor... Er healer has to tell her she needs it before she can get any. And without being able to get through the well, I can't exactly go to this healer myself so he can get some for me."

Hearing this bit of information, Touga frowned and stayed silent, gaze drifting down to the cup of tea sitting in front of him as he thought over what she said. If that is true, then there is no medicine he could get for her so her breathing would be fixed.

"But, if there is a herb around here that does the same thing, by that I mean relaxing muscles. Maybe if I boil it and breathe in the steam it could do the same thing. It wouldn't be as effective, but it would work well enough." Niki mused out loud, a finger tapping on her chin as she gazed at the wall across from her. "You wouldn't happen to know of anything like that, would you?"

Touga closed his eyes, thinking over all the different herbs his own sire had taught him in case he ever needed to find any himself and felt a smile pull at his lips. "Yes, I believe I know of one."

"Great!" Clapping her hands, Niki flashed a smile of her own at him as he opened his eyes. "If you could get me some, I could dry them out, grind them into powder so when I need them all I need to do is add a bit to some boiling water."

"They will not be easy to retrieve. If I remember correctly, they only grow in tall rocky areas." He stated, making the smile slip from her face as she stared at him. "You mean mountains right? Like, at the top of a mountain?"

Nodding his head, he agreed with Niki and watched as she slumped slightly, almost as if all the air had left her body. "Well that's just great. If they need an environment like that, there's no way I could just grow some out behind the shiro either."

"Perhaps the miko knows of a place nearby where it grows." Touga commented, watching as she cast a glance over at him and shrugged one of her shoulders with a slight grimace. "Maybe, but I wouldn't get your hopes up. When things like this come around, luck is hardly ever in my favor." Looking down at her food, Niki picked at it for a moment then resumed eating with gusto. "Either way, something will come along, it won't be exactly what you or I might want right now, but it'll be something close enough it could work." With that she finished eating and got to her feet. "I'm gonna get some sleep, night."

Nodding his head, he watched as she left the room and folded his arms slightly with a frown. She did not appear to have any hope of finding his herb, if need be, he could always go himself and speak to the witch in the cabin if she happened to be there and see about getting some. If she lived there, then it was a high chance she knew either of the herb or even grew it herself.

With that thought, he stood and returned to his own rooms, intent on meditating for a time before retiring himself. It had been a long day of reordering everything and arranging for several changes to happen. One of those changes being the schedule for the maids and servants in the house. Being as it was only himself and Niki, not all of them needed to be working at once. Now with how he had figured it, only half of the original staff would work while the other half were given a day to themselves and would change off every other day.

Settling down on the futon, he closed his eyes and allowed his mind to clear of everything he had thought that day, simply focusing on the energy swirling inside as his sire taught him and allowed everything else around him to fade away. Tomorrow he would face the thoughts of getting this herb for Niki, for now, he would have to trust her to take care of herself until he could do so.

She had spent years dealing with it as she said, and seemed healthy enough. He could trust her one more night, then tomorrow he would take over. If she liked it her not, he would be her caretaker. A feral grin spread across his lips at that thought and settled back down. Yes, for now he would settle for being her caretaker. Just for now.

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	24. Author Note -IMPORTANT PLEASE READ-

**Due to the upcoming holiday and the fact that my house hosts the dinner, I'm gonna be busy until afterwards and I'm not saying I won't be updating during, but please understand if I'm not able to until Thanksgiving is over. I'll try my best to find the time to write, but as of right now it's pretty slow going due to gathering everything needed, keeping my daughter occupied with making place setters and then the day before we cook some of the food before hand so all we need to do is warm it up when everyone arrives.**

 **Anyway, enough boring you with my daily life. I'm just letting you know I may or may not be able to update until after the holiday like I said earlier. I just wanted you all to know not to expect anything unless I say otherwise.**

 **Once again: I will TRY to post a new chapter sometime between now and after the holiday, but I hold NO promise over it. I'm super busy and hope you all understand. To my readers in the US: Happy Thanksgiving to you all~ And I hope it's a good one.**

 **To those of you that may live outside of the US: I promise things will pick back up after the 27th (Hopefully I'll be able to post that night) once again. So please be patient with me and please be kind.**

 **I hope you all have a wonderful time and remember I'll be back again. Until then 'ta~**

 **~TL S0nya**


	25. Chapter 24 -please read the bold first-

**Chapter Twenty-Four**

 **I know, I know, I know. This chapter is very late and quite obviously short, and I really do apologize for this, but let me try to explain:**

 **After thanksgiving was said and done, I took an extra day to clean up all the pots and pans so I wouldn't have to worry about doing them that same night. So there's one right there.**

 **Two: After that, I ended up with a nagging pain in my side and an upset stomach up until early this morning. I had no idea what it was, but I was in serious pain, I couldn't stand up straight at all, I could barely even walk -more like hobble- anywhere. I couldn't even manage to cook anything for dinner either. I thought it might have been my appendix but, while it was on the right side, it wasn't in the right place.**

 **I haven't gone to the doctor's about it yet, but I suspect it's just a kidney stone. At least I'm hoping it is, because I know for sure it's not my appendix anymore, there's no way I could go through four days of that much pain without it bursting then it suddenly backing off without making me sick. My mom said if the pain lasts until the end of the week, she's forcing me into the ER because she thinks it might be my ovary, but I don't want to think or talk about that.**

 **Anyway, I know it's not like I couldn't have typed while sick or anything, but one thing I do know about myself is whenever I even feel the slightest bit under the weather, I sleep. A LOT. So I couldn't really stay awake long enough to type anything other than the beginning half of this chapter. And even that wasn't posted because my stupid computer decided to go ahead and update to windows 10 overnight while I was sleeping. And granted it was my fault for not saving it, I do have to say in my defense, it shouldn't have updated on it's own. (In case some of you don't know, when your computer updates something like that, it has to shut down to complete the process, that's why I lost the file.)**

 **Anyway, that's about it so, I really, really do hope you forgive me for how long it took to post this and how short the chapter is.**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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Staring across the yard at her teacher, Niki scowled at his knowing smile he sent her way. Two hours. _Two hours!_ Of her dodging his attacks the most she could. Of dipping and rolling around on the ground just to avoid his fists and feet.

Two hours of endless torture.

There were even moments where she twisted in ways she had no idea she even could before. Not to m mention it hurt while doing it, but the look of surprise on his face was well worth the strain in her muscles.

But now Niki was tired, achy and irritated beyond reasoning. And from the looks of things, he wasn't planning on letting up anytime soon either. 'I've only got one shot at this...' Gritting her teeth, she watched him warily, eyes narrowed as he shifted in front of her, one foot sliding forward slightly as he moved.

Thanks to years of wrestling around with her older -and much bigger- brother. Niki had plenty of... Well she could call it training thinking back on it, on taking down people bigger and heavier than her. It all had to do with balance and leverage, if she could only manage to get in the right position.

Shifting her feet herself, Niki frowned at her teacher and tensed her muscles for another onslaught. Granted she managed to dodge a lot of the attacks he sent her way, he still managed to land several good blows, leaving behind bruises that throbbed painfully.

Resisting the urge to blink the sweat from her eyes, Niki crouched farther down and held her hands at the ready when her teacher sprang forward, obvious intent in his eyes as he clenched a fist at his side. Growling softly to herself, she ducked down slightly and managed to wedge her leg between both of his. With a smirk of triumph, she grabbed his outstretched arm and managed to settle his weight on her back and rolled him off onto the ground, easily flipping him onto his back in the process.

Straightening back up, she dusted her hands off on her pants and sent a withering glare down at her teacher as he gaped up at her in surprise. "Don't mess with a girl that knows how to take on people bigger than her." She snapped, making him blink before turning around and stalking back into the shiro, intent on confiscating the hot spring for a good hour or two.

"Careful, Senshi ***** , if you continue looking at the headman's woman like that you may find yourself without a home." One of the onlooking guards chided lightly as he got to his feet and dusted off his hakima, forcefully tearing his eyes from the woman while doing so. "I do not know what you mean."

"Of course you don't." The same guard chuckled and leaned against the retaining wall, arms folded over his chest. "A woman willing to take on training as well as being as smart as she is... Not something you will normally see. A rarity."

"She also tends to be painful on the ears." Senshi retorted, making the guard laugh lightly as he fell in step beside him on the way back to the barracks. "That may be, but still... Fair on the eyes."

"Hmph." Senshi snorted and disappeared inside the building without another word. He knew better than to even contemplate anything along those lines with the Lady. Even though she and the headman were not married- _'Mated, demons mate_ ' he reminded himself silently- it was painfully obvious to all there he intended on making it happen in the near future.

After all, it wasn't too long after he replaced the old headman the exact reason behind it. Apparently the fool had attempted to set up a surprise wedding with her in the old fashion, where she had no say in the matter. And even being loyal to the headman, that alone was enough to bring many of the servants and soldiers around to the demon's side. None of them even believed the man to be capable of something like that, yet the proof was undeniable when the miko had come forward to the village in an attempt to assuage them to their new headman.

Shaking his head, Senshi began sorting through some papers left for him on his desk, several of them being from new guards asking about periods of rest so they may visit family or even fiancee's.

No, it would not do to become attached to Lady Niki. It would only end up with him being on the wrong end of the headman's claws.

* * *

 ***Senshi- Literally meaning 'warrior' (I know sort of a obvious name, but I really couldn't think of anything else. Besides, it's fun to say.)**

* * *

A small sigh of relief slipped from Niki's lips as she slid deeper into the hot water, simply enjoying herself as it soothed the aches and pains spotting her body. Slipping down farther, she let the water drift up above her lips and stopped, blowing out some bubbles with a small huff. _'Stupid teacher. Who does he think he is punching me like that?'_ Straightening back up, she ran her fingers through her hair with a frown. _'That's not fair, I know he's just training me. I suppose it's how he was trained so I guess it makes sense...'_

Reaching over, she plucked the bottle of shampoo from the ledge and poured some into the palm of her hand before working it through her hair slowly, simply enjoying the familiar motions of washing as her eyes fell closed.

 _'Hmmm... I suppose I should make it up to him for being so... Well, for being such a pain in the ass. But I really don't know how.'_ Dropping her hands back down in the water, Niki opened her eyes and stared at her rippling reflection thoughtfully. _'Maybe I'll talk to Touga about giving him a day or two off to go do... Whatever it is guys do. He's probably got a girlfriend or family he hasn't seen in a while.'_ Nodding slightly to herself, she finished up her bath quicker than expected and left in search of the master of the house.

* * *

"Touga, please would you just stop writing and listen to me?" Planting her hands on her hips, Niki glared at the demon across the desk from her as he continued ignoring her presence in favor for the papers in front of him.

A few more seconds of faint sounds of brushstrokes had her clenching her fists in irritation. "Come on, I know I'm not easy to ignore. I know for a fact I can be the most irritating thing you come across in your long life. Now would you just pay attention?"

A soft sigh followed by the click of the bamboo brush being sent down made Niki settle back on the cushion she was sitting on. Folding his hands on the table, Touga finally brought his eyes up from the paper in front of him and onto the frustrated woman across from him with some measure of amusement. "Yes?"

"Don't you 'yes' me. I've been trying to get your attention for the past ten minutes, you dog." Folding her arms, Niki tipped her nose up in the air and turned away from him, only furthering his amusement with her actions. "Very well then, what is it that you want?"

Heaving a small sigh, she let it go and looked back over at Touga with a frown. "Look, I just wanted to suggest you give my teacher some time off. I mean I haven't exactly been the best student and I know he's just trying to do what I asked so..." Trailing off, she fidgeted slightly in her seat, fingers twisting in the hem of her shirt nervously. _'Why do I have to be so damn socially awkward at a time like this?'_ She swore inwardly and frowned down at her knees. "Look, I just think he deserves a break or something, alright?"

Choosing to stay silent, Touga tapped a claw against the back of his hand in idle thought. It did seem Senshi was more tired than normally, he simply attributed it to his additional training of Niki and nothing more than that. But if he were to factor in Niki's obvious ranting and irritation every day, it would make sense.

"Perhaps you are correct. He does seem long overdue for some time to himself." Touga finally allowed, watching as she lifted her head up and smiled hopefully at him. "However, it does not mean you will go without training either during his time away. I will personally see to it during this time." He added, watching with glee as the sparkle in her eyes died back down.

"I will speak to him on this matter after the nighttime meal." With a wave of his clawed hand, Touga dismissed Niki without another thought, his mind already turning to more urgent matters as his eyes drifted back down to the papers in front of him once more.

"Alright." Sighing softly, Niki got up and moved towards the door then paused, glancing back at him with a small frown. "Are you going to eat with me?"

Blinking up at her, Touga almost shot a look of surprise in her direction at the question but barely managed to reign it in just in time. "Hm? Of course." Seeing the small smile she sent his way, he repressed the urge to get up and gather the woman into his arms before she left the room and clenched a hand once the door shut behind her. _'It would seem she has become accustomed to my presence...'_ He mused idly, eyes still focused on the door. Hopefully it wouldn't be much longer before she started asking for him to go into the village with her like she did once a week.

He could only wait, patience was key when it came to her and he only hoped he wouldn't have to be too patient before she finally gave into him.


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

 **Another short chapter, I know, sorry! But I do have some interesting information for you all:**

 **A reader of mine: _SaitoshiTaishou_ had offered the main OC from her own Inuyasha fanfiction as another OC in my story here. Now, before you all jump to conclusions: 1. No, the stories aren't entirely separate. 2. No they aren't the same story from two different points of view, or any such idea like that.**

 **No this is a mere... Brushing of different tales, written by two completely different authors who happen to be obsessed by the same anime. Nothing weird about that, I don't think so, then again 'What is normal for the spider, is chaos for the fly' so...**

 **Anyway, the basic idea is, while I'm using her OC in my story here, she'll begin mentions of her character running into various people from my story. EX: Kagome mentions at one point meeting up with her OC before they find Sonya. Later on down the road, she meets Sonya and mentions it in her own story ect ect.**

 **It's a promotion for the both of us, me promoting her and her story, and her doing the same for me. So please, when you get the time, go take a peek at what she has so far, she's really very good, I've already read the prologue for the story with the OC I'm using in here and I think it's a really good plot. So far it's just the prologue though, you can be sure I'll be keeping an eye out.**

 **Anyway, other than that there is another thing: She did help me write some of this chapter. The parts where her character comes into play: Saitoshi. Admittedly I did edit her writing to match with my own flow so it would go into the part she wrote seamlessly, but it was just adjustments, none of what she did write was changed other than wording. Giving credit where it's due,** **SaitoshiTaishou, you rock!**

 **Anyway, I think that's about all I have to say other than chapters might take a little bit longer to post because of both of us writing (Only when her character comes into play, not all of them, so you can breathe now.) And I only have so many hours on the computer before going back into real life. Anyway, I will update as quickly as I can like usual, but if it's taking me longer than normal to update, just assume it's one I'm writing with SaitoshiTaishou considering there will be back and forth writing on it.**

 **I think that's it for now, so get to reading!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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The very next morning found Niki's door being knocked on rather loudly -rudely- and a loud voice accompanying it by demanding she meet it's owner within a few minutes or he would go in a drag her out himself.

Apparently Touga took training even more seriously than her teacher did.

Sitting up with a growl, Niki tossed a scowl at the door fully knowing he was still standing there waiting to listen for her to get out of bed and start moving around. "There is no use delaying, I will return." Touga rumbled, his voice laced with laughter that only made her scowl deeper. "Shut up, dog."

"You have been forewarned." With that final statement, Touga walked away, strolling through the hallways and out to the yard in the front. Looking around, he noticed several bystanders that he suspected were there every day for her training. Brushing it off, he simply reached back and tied his hair up carefully, capturing the loose strands deftly and knotting the leather he used securely.

Shooting a glance over his shoulder at the door, his eyebrow rose when Niki still didn't show. He was already planning on dragging her out, but he didn't expect to actually do it.

Not that he would complain, however several guards were standing around and who knows what she slept in considering the clothing she wore normally. For all he knew, she didn't sleep in anything...

That thought alone had him shifting slightly in an effort to stave off the sudden rush of heat towards his rather... Sensitive parts below. No, he would give her a few more moments then he would rush into her room.

The sound of the shiro door sliding open made Touga glance over once more to see a grouchy Niki leaning against the edge and sending a sour look at him. Raising an eyebrow, he simply watched as she slowly made her way over to him yawning all the way.

"I can't believe you woke me before the sun was even up." She grumbled up at him, one hand still rubbing at her eyes while the other attempted to straighten her mass of hair. "I didn't have to get up this early with my teacher, yet here you are cracking the whip like a damn slave driver."

Clearing his throat, Touga stopped her rambling so she would pay attention and made his way over to a rack of practice swords. Choosing two of them, he tested their weight before tossing one over to Niki, who miraculously managed to catch it, after fumbling anyway.

"Huh?"

Moving to stand across from her, Touga shifted his hand on the grip slightly and held the sword out so she could see. Catching on to what he was doing, Niki quickly copied his hands and frowned slightly, eyes darting between their two grips. "It still doesn't look right."

Bringing his own gaze down, he studied her grip for a moment then reached out, moving one of her fingers just a few millimeters upwards and nodded. Curious that she even noticed the slight change in their grips, but he easily brushed it off and resumed his previous stance. "Follow my lead."

Nodding, Niki's eyes zeroed in on the sword in his hands, completely focused on what he was doing with a look of intense concentration.

For the next couple of hours, Touga showed her stances with the sword and made her repeat them until they were drilled into her mind. The only reason he could come up with her sudden ability to pay attention would be they had finally moved onto something she was truly interested in. She even seemed a bit upset when he announced they had done enough for the day.

* * *

Meanwhile, a beautiful demoness emerged from a forest and begins walking to the center of the clearing. Her ice blue hair swaying in the wind as she strode. Scanning the area with her matching colored eyes in search of the one who had summoned her. The letter stated that he had some information of importance to her and all he wanted was to help her on her conquest. Her target had died quite a few years prior, when she had found out that HE had died long ago. Folding her arms in front of her white, flowing kimono with blue flowers dotted along the edge. One would say that it was worn simply to match with her dark blue eye shadow-like markings.

Saitoshi huffed in irritation, fed up with waiting as long as she already had. "This Information better be good because if it isn't and he made me come all the way out here for nothing, I will kill him. I do _not_ like to be toyed with." She growled under her breath, eyes narrowed as they scanned the area.

Suddenly she sensed a human approaching in her direction, with a smile, she turned, waiting for the human to get closer. Once they got close enough she studied his face with idle curiosity that was quickly brushed off."You had better be this Aoi, or else I will have to kill you. I'm not in a great mood right now."

Sweat starting to form on his brow, he quickly took a look at the demoness, knowing that she is more frightening than Touga had been, licking his lips, he attempted to straighten his spine and faced her head-on. "Yes, I heard tale you may find some of my information interesting to you on a... _Personal_ level." He stated in a calm voice, forcing himself not to show as much fear as he felt. No matter how many years he had dealt with demons in the past, he still had a very primal respect for them, that respect being fear for his life.

And while he was frightened to find himself dead, he couldn't help but notice her beauty was something he had rarely seen before. However, in his jaded gaze, she couldn't measure to the woman he had already set his sights on.

Staring at him coldly, she stayed silent long enough to prolong his suffering then answered with a sharp bite of agitation in her tone. "As it was you being late, that caused this irritation, I really do not think anything you can say will impress me. My conquest was over long ago, nothing you can say will matter."

"But that is where I believe you are wrong." He paused and watch her eyebrow raise with a sense of glee mixed with pride. "You see, My Lady, Inu No Taisho is _very_ much alive." With a smile on his face, he relaxed subtly, still on guard, but more at ease knowing he had her attention. "It would seem a two-tailed wolf demon brought him back from the very dead herself."

She glared at him for coming up with this ridiculous story, her previous surprise crashing down on her from just the small amount of hope she held. "There is no way to bring back the dead. Specially when the said person had been gone for a long time, their spirit would never linger for that many years." Pausing, she tapped a clawed finger to her chin thoughtfully, gaze roaming around the area while she pondered the information.

"Though, I have heard in the past about the legend of the two tailed wolf's abilities but they have been dead a long time, hunted down to the last of their species." She pushed her thoughts back and turned her gaze back onto Aoi, sharper than ever. "The two-tails have been extinct for quite some time now. Do _not_ toy with me." She looked at him with the intent to kill, knuckles already lightly cracking with the thought of his blood spilling.

More sweat appeared on his brow as he realized she might actually kill him if he didn't get her to believe his story, quickly. "Believe me, I know where he resides at this very moment. If you would trust me and follow to where he is, you will see for yourself." He prayed silently to the kami for her to give him at least that small amount of trust. If what he had planned worked out, then he would be free of that demon, as well as have Niki to himself, no matter how angry she might be with him.

Saitoshi sighed, deciding that if somehow a two-tailed wolf had survived and that two-tail had actually brought him back then what hurt would it be for her to follow the lowly human to said location. _'Wait nobody does this much work for free. What is he working for?'_ She smiles at the human knowing it would probably make him squirm. "What would you be getting out of this, human?"

He started to relax a little, realizing she was interested, interest would keep him alive. "He claimed something of mine that I desire to have returned to me." Sending her a sudden gaze full of inspiration. "I will offer you my estates, the title of headman as well as more than enough wealth to carry you far into your years. Only if the human woman called Niki is returned to me safely." Laying out his last offer in the open, he smiled darkly, a small glint of malicious intent in his eyes at the thought of having that woman in his arms.

Tapping a claw against her chin once more, she studied Aoi in a new light, sullenly admiring his ability to negotiate. "Alright, let's go. If I find out that you have toyed with me, I shall kill you without hesitation. Are we clear, human?" Saitoshi watched as he shifted uncomfortably at the mention of his possible death and jerked his head in a quick nod. Seeing this, her smile twisted into a smirk easily.

"Very well." With the conversation now being over, he turned and began to walk back in the direction of his estate. "This way, it will take near three days to arrive."

As she began to follow him on silent feet, she allowed her thoughts to wander once more. Soon she shall kill him.

Soon she will make him suffer.

Soon she will be finally satisfied.

* * *

Breaking through the trees bordering the opposite end of the village where his estate sat, he motioned silently for her to join him and nodded his head at the miko making her early morning rounds. "That is the miko of the village. Before I had been... Forced away, she had agreed to a deal between the two of us. But knowing the demon..." He trailed off, teeth gritting tightly at the mere mention of the damn creature before continuing. "He may have drawn her to his side and cause. Be prepared for her to protect him."

Turning to look at Saitoshi, he eyed her frame, judging her strength before giving up and turning back to face the village once more. It was simply impossible to judge a demon's strength by mere sight alone like you could with humans. Even the females of their kind were strong enough to rip a man's head clean from his shoulders with a mere flick of their wrists.

"For now, I would like to suggest to study the village as well as the estate, there is no telling how many are loyal to him right now. And remember our deal." He added quickly, worrying about the woman's blood lust for her father and wondering if his Niki would be caught in the upcoming blood bath as well.

She turned to looked at him curiously. "Don't you worry about that. I will keep to our deal as promised." Turning a way and slowly stepping back she quietly growled under her voice. _'How dare he assume I would forget. He better remember about my patience as well and not give me a reason to kill him.'_ She stepped further back and into the shadows for she had sensed some humans coming closer.

Straightening up, he backed away from the line and faded himself into the shadows as two soldiers marched by, their voices easily drifting over to both hidden in the bushes. "The Lady seems to be intent on drawing blood today from what I had seen." One of the taller men chuckled, remembering something as he clapped the smaller one on the shoulder. "Nearly nicked the headman's face in some wild attempt with that sword."

Hearing this, Aoi furrowed his brows as the two men walked farther away. _'Lady? They must mean Niki. But why would she weild a sword? Much less against the very demon she seemed to care about... Unless they were battling for her freedom.'_ But no, that wouldn't make any sense either, from the way the man was speaking it was a regular occurrence. But why would she even feel the need to take up any weapon?

Scowling darkly, he fisted his hands tightly against his sides. "I will take my leave for now, remember my warning to wait and watch. He seems to be intensely aware of anything around himself and Niki." With that said, Aoi turned and vanished into the trees, leaving the female alone once more.

She watched as he walked away, leaving her there and clenched her teeth roughly, showing her fangs at his back. _'How dare he tell me what to do. If he didn't bite his tongue soon, I will do it for him._ ' Turning around, she left the area quickly before she was noticed, intent on doing as the insufferable male suggested, for now she would watch, later, she could engage.

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	27. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty-Six**

 **Welp, here's another chapter. It's sorta off to the side of the main story, buuuut my birthday is tomorrow, so we're gonna celebrate Niki's birthday today and tomorrow. It'll be a two-part chapter, so please just enjoy it for now. As for the main story, it'll resume afterwards, I promise. I just wanted to write something fun considering I'm not expecting anything for myself.**

 **Not to sound like I'm looking for some pity or like I'm complaining or anything, but my birthday isn't really all that special in this house, so I wanna celebrate this way. Please no complaining about this chapter and the next? Once I finish the birthday bit, I'll go right back to the planned story, but for now... Just right now, alright?**

 **Anyway, it's not all that exciting, I just thought it might be fun. I know you all were waiting for a new chapter anyway, so here it is! I think that's all for now, just wanted to let you know what to expect and all that jazz. Lemme know what you think and if you have any ideas for presents I could mention in the next chapter. All I got is two of them and one is from Touga (Obviously). So if you have any good ideas, lemme know!**

 **Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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The soft sounds of birds chirping, footsteps and low murmurs where what finally drug Niki from her fitful sleep that morning. With a frown of irritation, she draped a arm over her eyes in an effort to block out the sunlight managing to make it's way through the shoji doors leading to the personal garden her room connected to. _'I'm too damn comfortable to get up. I finally manage to relax for once, and I can't fall asleep.'_ A scowl replaced her frown, followed by a soft growl of annoyance when a soft knock sounded on her door.

Sitting up, she ran a hand through her hair in an attempt to get it to settle down from it's wild disarray while calling to whoever it was to come in. With her eyes still closed, her ears perked slightly at the sound of the door sliding open then shut again, footsteps making their way to the side of her futon.

Knowing full well they were waiting for her to get up, Niki rubbed her head and yawned widely before cracking open an eye to look up at the maid with a frown. "What time is it?"

"It is near noon, Lady." The maid smiled lightly and bowed as Niki got to her feet and stretched her arms over her head while the woman fixed the bed quickly. Frowning at the time, she looked over her shoulder at her. "How come Touga didn't wake me up for training?"

The maid - _'Shibori, that's her name.'_ Niki recalled sheepishly, silently berating herself for forgetting yet another name.- Sent a cheerful smile over at her and nodded at the shoji doors leading to the garden. "Perhaps you should take a look outside and see for yourself, Lady."

Quirking an eyebrow at her, she turned and cracked open the doors curiously despite herself only to fling them open wide with a small, happy gasp. "It snowed!"

"Indeed. The Master of the house had decided to let you sleep instead of have you stumble about in the cold, Lady. So perhaps a warmer change of clothes-" The maid was cut off by a happy shriek of laughter as Niki simply ran outside -barefoot- and simply fell face-first into the snow. "Lady! Quickly get back inside please, you could catch the cold sickness!" Shibori wrung her hands nervously, watching as Niki popped back up out of the deep snow and began pouncing around happily. "Oh, calm down! I love the snow!" Niki called back, cheerfully rolling around in the cold stuff.

"Oh, please, Lady. Come back inside before the Master sees you like this! I could be punished for not dressing you properly!" A low sigh reached her ears as Niki stood back up and shook the snow from her hair. "Fine, fine. Stop your fussing." Tromping her way back inside, she dusted her clothes off before stepping back into the room with a scowl. Okay, so her feet were cold from running around without shoes on, but come on, the last time she saw snow was over a year ago, back home in the woods.

Sticking her lower lip out in a pout, Niki let Shibori lay out warm clothes for her to change into. After much arguing, she managed to get the maid to stop insisting to dress her, in favor of letting her pick out what she would wear when she wasn't training. Apparently, Touga had her wardrobe entirely outfitted with new Kimonos. And really, she couldn't complain, they were rather pretty so it wasn't so bad to wear them. But damn they were annoying to wear when she was walking around the village.

Rolling her eyes, Niki plucked the clothes from the futon and stepped behind the screen to change out of her now wet clothes and into the dry ones. "Do you know where Touga is, Shibori?"

"I believe he is in his study as usual, Lady." The maid answered with a thoughtful hum, loading her arms with the wet clothes and making her way towards the door. "It is where he normally resides during the day. I believe he may have received a few letters from the surrounding village's headmen."

"Oh. Alright." Niki plucked on her lower lip thoughtfully, trying to think of something to do now she didn't have training, and really this kimono was made of silk so... No playing in the snow. Heaving a small sigh, she picked up a comb from the small vanity she commissioned the village carpenter to make and began pulling it through her hair. "You know, being Lady and having money is boring."

Sticking her tongue out at nothing in particular, she dropped the comb and left the room, wandering the shiro aimlessly. She really wasn't hungry despite missing breakfast, and nothing really to distract her either... "Wait, what's the date?" Frowning, she strode back to her room and dug out the pad of paper Kagome gave her before leaving and searched through it for the few pages she wrote a month ago about the date.

"Hmm... It's been about..." Niki paused and counted on her fingers quickly before determining it's been somewhere around twenty-eight days since she last recorded the date. "That would make it..." She scribbled down a few numbers then blinked at the date that came up. "That can't be right." Muttering under her breath, she sat down on top of the futon and scribbled a few more numbers down, trying to change the date only to have it come up the same each time.

Giving up, she flopped backwards on the soft cushion and spread her arms out, staring up at the ceiling above her without actually seeing it. "It's my birthday. I can't believe it's actually December." Turning her head, she looked out the crack in the doors leading out to the garden, watching the snow sparkle under the sunlight with a frown. "Well... Fuck."

* * *

Pulling her ear away from the door, Shibori smiled softly and quickly made her way into the kitchen to speak with the cook. It appeared to be the Lady's day of birth, and even if she didn't announce it to any in the shiro, Shibori would be sure she would have a wonderful day.

Quickly making her way from the kitchen after speaking with the head cook, the made walked quickly through the halls, making her way towards the Headman's study and knocked lightly. Fidgeting slightly with her hands, she waited for him to call her in and ducked her head down while sliding the door open. "Headman, there is something I wish to speak with you."

Looking up from the scroll in front of him, Touga frowned in question at the maid nervously fidgeting with her hands as she stared at the floor in front of her. "Yes?"

"I have recently discovered it is Lady Niki's day of birth." Shibori finally managed to utter, her brown eyes flicking up from the floor to Touga's face to see his expression then back down, a small smile pulling at her lips as she bowed with more confidence. "I would like to request to leave for the village and tell some of those there closest to her."

Tapping a claw to his chin, Touga hummed thoughtfully then nodded. "Acceptable." Turning back to his work, he frowned then held up a hand before the maid turned away, stopping her as he reached into a pocket of his haori, pulling a small bag out and weighing it in his palm. "I would like for you to retrieve something for me as well." Tipping her head up from the bow she was in, Shibori stayed silent, listening to the headman's orders, a small smile playing around her lips.

"Yes, Headman. Gladly."

* * *

Niki peered around yet another corner and frowned to find that hallway empty too. "Just where the hell is everyone? This is like some creepy horror movie..." Creeping along, she pressed her ear to each door she came across only to find each one silent and empty when she peered inside just to make sure. "I'm starting to think some axe murderer is going to pop out and start chasing me any moment."

The feeling of unease steadily grew as she rounded corner after corner, walked down every hallway and ended up at the doors leading outside to the courtyard. "Well... It's not like anyone is inside..." Pursing her lips, she reached out and slowly slid the doors open, her eyes closing tight against the bright sun and it's reflection against the snow on the ground.

"Welcome, Lady!"

A startled shriek left her lips as Niki stumbled backwards away from the loud voices, landing roughly on her behind as she clenched a hand over her heart, gaping at the crowd sanding in front of her, each of them wearing wide smiles on their faces, some of them amused at her reaction, others looking a little worried before smiling once more.

"Wh-Wha... What?" She gaped intelligently as Touga strode forward, a deep, rumbling chuckle sounding from his chest as he reached out to help her to her feet. "It was mentioned your day of birth is today." He murmured so only she could hear, making Niki blink up at him blankly. "They wished to give you a celebration." He added, one hand gesturing idly towards the gathered people.

"O-Oh..." Twisting her head from side to side, she stared at everyone there, surprised despite herself at the number. "Well... Alright?" Looking back up at the demon, she pulled her hand from his and made her way over to the group with a small smile tugging at her lips. "I guess a thank-you is in order..."

"Oh, no Lady. There is no need to thank us." One of the villagers there chastised lightly, a small blush adorning her cheeks as she waved a hand in front of her nervously. Granted Niki had been nothing but kind to her and her family, it was still a high honor to even be invited to a celebration such as this. "We simply wished to give you a celebration on such an important day to you."

"Ah... Well my birthday isn't all that important to me." Niki frowned for a moment then flashed a wide smile at their worried looks, easily brushing them aside as she wandered through the crowd, chatting with someone every now and again. Despite their protests, she insisted on thanking them anyway, her smile becoming strained with each happy wish they gave her in return.

Turning his attention away from her, Touga strode towards the door and had the guards open it slightly, the sight outside making a smile quirk his lips upwards. "Come join us." He murmured, a clawed finger pressing against his lips in a hushing motion when those outside began murmuring excitedly to each other.

Once they were silent, he turned to the guard standing nearby and nodded, giving him the signal to distract Niki as he brought in the surprise he had planned for her. Nodding back, the guard strode over to her and leaned down to whisper something in her ear, making the girl look up at him with a question in her eyes then turned to follow him back into the shiro curiously.

Once she was out of sight, Touga turned back and gestured to the crowd of children waiting outside, ushering them into the courtyard quickly before she came back out. "Quickly now, prepare the courtyard." At his words, everyone there rushed to bring out the decorations, the children helping some of the women set up one of the low tables with food that the cook had brought out. The rest of the women gathering the gifts everyone had brought and putting them on another low table while the guards and maids finished setting up the rest of the decorations.

The prized bit of decorum being a long string of cranes all of the children in the village had made together under Touga's instruction, their wishes for the Lady Niki written on each one with any adults that could write help. Looking around, he nodded his head in satisfaction. It was his surprise to Niki himself, he at first wanted the courtyard decorated before she came outside at all. But Shibori suggested to make it two surprises instead, to have her greet everyone first, then draw her away with some reason then decorate the courtyard for her to come back to.

After a moment's thought, he had agreed and even now that it had been a good idea. His pointed ears twitched slightly at the sound of light footsteps heading back towards the doors leading outside. Waving a hand, he silenced the chatter around him and faced the doors once more, one of his fangs showing slightly as he smirked in anticipation for her reaction to the change everyone had made.

* * *

"Lady, there is a question the cook wishes to ask you about the dinner you would want for tonight." Turning her head towards the guard that had approached her, Niki frowned in confusion then followed him inside. Usually it was Shibori that told her things like that, but she supposed with getting everyone together for this, she probably had plenty on her plate as it was.

With a small shrug, she let the guard lead her inside and back towards the kitchens, her lips tugged down with a small frown as she stepped into the warm room, her blue eyes roaming around until they landed on the slightly portly form of the cook. "Ah, Kayaku. Someone said you needed me?" She called, gaining his attention with a wry smile on her face when he jumped in surprise and dropped the cooking utensil he was holding.

"Oh, yes, Lady. I... Er..." He scratched his head, eyes darting over to where the guard stood nervously, absolutely lost as to what he was supposed to do to keep her there. "Kayaku...?"

"Oh, Lady! Yes, sorry, my thoughts got away from me." He bowed quickly and gestured at the food he had laid out on the table from the earlier preparations. "I wished to know... Er..."

"... What I wanted for dinner..?" Niki lead on, sounding amused as he jerked his head in a nervous nod. "I really don't care, anything you make tastes amazing, Kayaku."

Hearing this, the cook blushed and ducked his head shyly despite himself. It didn't matter how many times she told him this, it made him swell with embarrassed pride. "It is kind of you to say such, Lady. I will be sure your dinner is more than such tonight." He bowed once more as she laughed and shook her head, turning to leave the room. Casting a questioning look at the guard, he breathed a silent sigh of relief when he nodded and turned to follow Niki back to the courtyard. Their job was done, now it was up to the headman to make the celebration memorable.

Striding down the hallway, Niki paused for a moment outside her room and frowned in thought, her own ears shifting at the sound of the guard's footsteps stopping behind her. "Hey, what's your name anyway? I don't think we really talked before." She asked suddenly, turning to look up at his face with a curious tilt of her head.

Clearing his throat, the guard straightened slightly under her scrutiny, his grey eyes darting all around, landing anyplace but her face. "It is Kakumau, Lady." He finally stated, realizing she wouldn't stop staring at him until he answered.

"Well then, Kakumau, wait here for me. I'm going to change into something more comfortable. It's not exactly... Practical to wear a silk kimono outside in the snow." Niki snorted at the thought and slipped into her room, ignoring the faint flush on the guard's face at the mention of her changing her clothes. Honestly, people in this time blushed if you mentioned your ankles around them. With a shake of her head, she pulled out one of the outfits Sonya had given to her and pulled them on quickly, fingers fumbling on the tie for her pants as she rushed.

"Much better." Niki mumbled, pulling her hair back in a ponytail as she made her way back over to the door and slid it open with her foot, hair tie held in her teeth as she brushed the hair from her eyes and held it up so she could secure it. "All done, let's go, Kakumau." Flashing a quick smile at him, she turned down the hallway and headed back for the courtyard once more.

Breathing a small sigh, the guard followed her silently. Hopefully the little stop she made to her room would have gave everyone outside more than enough time to finish setting things up. He really wasn't sure if the headman would be angry if she stepped outside before they were ready or not. Being a demon, he seemed to be fairly kind and understanding, but... His eyes slid over to where Niki walked ahead of him thoughtfully. When it came to this particular woman, he seemed relentless.

As they neared the front door, he quickened his pace and moved head of her, his hand reaching out to slide the door open, offering his own smile at Niki when she flashed a wide one at him in thanks. Hopefully she wouldn't react the same way she did earlier, he wasn't certain if he could catch her if she were to fall backwards again.

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	28. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

 **Okay, I know I promised it would only take two chapters, but I got caught up there in the end so it'll extend to one more chapter then be finished with the birthday bit. Also, there's a little gift to all reading this (Mostly to myself... But I'll let you enjoy it too hehe) just for being loyal and being amazing followers/readers/reviewers.**

 **Also, I would like to thank all of you for your birthday wishes for me the other day. It really made me smile to read those and it made my day to know you all read my note at the beginning. Like I said, I didn't really expect much for my birthday, so it cheered me up.**

 **Anyway, just wanted to let you all know I'm here and all that stuff. Still looking for gift ideas to add into the story. (HINT HINT) Please give me one or two ideas. Something simple but cute that she might like, I only have one or two ideas myself but I want to mention at least four things, so please, idea away!**

 **Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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The sight that greeted Niki when she walked back out into the courtyard was even more surprising than before. One quick glance alone told her there were more people, mainly children. More to the point, the children she took time to play with whenever she ventured into the village. A second glance proved the courtyard had been decorated in the short time she'd been gone.

The one thing that caught her eye was the long string of cranes that wound around the area. That alone was astonishing, it took her quite a long time to make all the cranes she folded for Sango and Miroku. But the amount needed to wrap around the whole courtyard must have been double that. Not to mention they had only found out it was her birthday just a few hours ago. There must have been quite a few people making them at once just so they'd be finished in time for this.

Turning her head slightly, Niki spotted Touga standing off to the side at the front of the crowd, a smug look of satisfaction plastered on his face at her expression. "Don't you look like the cat that ate the canary." She muttered, moving over to stand next to him, arms folded and eyebrow raised.

Blinking at her odd phrasing, Touga tipped his head to the side slightly, giving Niki a rather _-adorable-_ curious look. "I am Inu, not feline." With a soft laugh, she patted his arm lightly and shook her head. "It's just a saying. It means you look rather smug and proud."

Turning away from her demonic companion, she watched everyone gathered talk among themselves, a small smile on her face. "Though I generally don't celebrate my birthday, thank you." Tipping her head back to stare at his face, Niki rested her hand on his arm and leaned up on her toes to press a kiss to his cheek then vanished into the crowd, quickly gathering the children together for a snowball fight.

Touga reached up and rested his fingers on the place she kissed him, a slight smile tugging at his lips while he watched her laugh joyously and attempting to dodge several balls of snow thrown her way simultaneously by a group of children. "You seem please, Headman." Shibori's soft voice brought his attention away from Niki and down to the softly smiling woman.

"Yes." He murmured quietly, eyes sliding back over to where Niki played cheerfully. "I am pleased. Good work."

Shibori flushed slightly and dipped her head in a slight bow, knowing her new master was just as uncomfortable as the Lady was when it came to any of the servants doing so. "It was nothing, Headman. Seeing her reaction alone is worth everything." With another shallow bow, she excused herself and walked over to join a few of the servants hovering around the food, each one fussing over the placement of the dishes.

Touga cast a glance around then turned back quickly in time to catch a snowball aimed at his head. Lowering his hand, he sent a amused look over at the group of children gathered around Niki. Upon seeing him look over, she attempted to point the blame on the kids by waving at them with forced nonchalance only to have all of them point at her right away.

Taking the opening she offered by turning to argue with them, Touga leaned over to pack his own ball then straightened back up to take aim. The kids, seeing this, scattered with loud bursts of laughter and leaving Niki standing there looking confused. At least she was until something cold smacked against the back of her head. Whirling around, she spotted Touga grinning lightly at her, another snowball held in his hand.

"Oh, that's how you wanna play, is it?" Muttering under her breath, she leaned over to pack her own bit of ammunition and looked up to spy her target only to come face-to-face with him instead. Letting out a undignified shriek, she stumbled backwards in the snow. Touga took the chance and smashed his snowball on-top of her head before roaring with laughter at the dark look she sent him. "If I remember correctly. You had stated you enjoyed the snow. I merely wished to help."

Shooting another scowl at him, Niki brushed the snow from her hair and climbed to her feet. "I love snow, but I don't love it in my clothes." This made Touga chuckle again as she shifted her shirt, grimacing at the cold slide of slush against her skin. Shooting a calculated look at him, a plan began to form itself in her devious little mind.

Hiding a grin, she knelt in the snow and looked up at him fully, easily gaining his attention by grabbing the front of his haori. Touga, feeling the tug on his clothes, looked down at her and blinked at the strange expression on her face. Freezing in place, he watched as she leaned forward, something in her eyes rendering him immobile as she drew closer.

Once she was sure he wouldn't move, Niki carefully scooped up a handful of snow and quickly stuffed it down the front of his clothes she had pulled out by tugging him close. Laughing loudly, she bolted away, easily hiding herself in the crowd of onlookers who quickly looked away when Touga shook himself out of the startled state he had been in and lurched to his feet. Casting a sullen look over his shoulder in the direction he knew she ran in, he made his way inside so he could remove the snow from his clothes and person without undressing in front of everyone there.

He supposed he deserved it, reflecting back with a sour look on his face. truly it was his fault for teasing her earlier, not to mention he let his own desire cloud his mind enough so she could attack. Reflecting back, it was safe to say he felt mildly relieved she didn't really want to hurt him. With how easily she distracted him, she could just as easily attack.

Peeling away the damp haori, he grimaced at the sting of cold against his heated skin and swiftly wiped the trickles of melting snow from his chest before tossing the wet cloth away then turned to the low dresser to pull out a dry top.

A soft knock on the door behind him made Touga straighten back up and sniff the air curiously. Catching Niki's strangely unique scent of rain and lightning, he strode over and slid the door open to peer down at her nervous face.

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When Niki saw Touga stalk inside with an obviously offended, not to mention wounded, pride, a small sting of guilt struck her. It really wasn't fair for her to use his attraction against him like that, and while she didn't really think of the man that way, it must have hurt his male pride anyhow.

Chewing on her lip, she waved off the kids when they crowded around her and made her way inside. It wouldn't kill her to apologize, and even if he _did_ deserve it, she knew in this time and man's pride was important. And she had just poked a big needle into his ego bubble.

Waving off one of the guards, Niki shook her head when he offered silently to walk with her and disappeared into the shiro, remembering the room he had picked for himself after taking over as headman and hesitating outside. Maybe he was too mad at her to accept the apology she had.

Chewing on her lower lip, Niki bowed her head as worry swamped her once more. He was quite literally her only real friend she knew better than the rest of the villagers or servants. Not that she'd admit it out-loud, but she treasured his friendship above all else at the moment, it meant more to her than she could really explain. And the thought of him being angry upset her more and more as she thought.

 _'I can't just stand here.'_ Gritting her teeth, Niki straightened her spine and knocked lightly on the door, knowing full well he could tell who was outside by scent alone and simply waited. It didn't take long before the door slid open to reveal a topless Touga standing in the doorway, staring down at her in bemusement.

Eyes level with his chest, she felt her cheeks begin to heat up bit by bit. It was still damp from the melted snow, and she could feel the heat practically _radiating_ off of him from where she stood. It wasn't hard to admit it, the man was an Adonis. Really, his face alone was attractive enough, but couple that with his chest and damn, one deadly sexy male right in front of her. A low sound -throat clearing- shook Niki from her perusal of the muscled chest and stomach in front of her and up to a very amused Touga looking down.

Feeling her face heat up even more, Niki stumbled back a step or two and covered her face with her hands, words tumbling out of her mouth in a spiel she couldn't stop. _"S-sorry!_ I didn't mean, I mean I did, but I didn't _think-_ Why are you- Oh man, I seriously don't want- Just wanted to- Really, It's just- I _kinda_ felt-" Feeling a hand press against her lips, she stopped her rambling and looked up at Touga -When did he move closer?- with wide eyes. "Calm yourself."

Nodding slowly, she watched as he straightened up and dropped his hand, eyes wary as he waited for her to start rambling once again. Taking a deep breath, Niki closed her own eyes and took a deep breath, trying to still her rapid heartbeat. "I just wanted to say sorry for what I did out there." She finally managed to get out, eyes still closed tightly.

Staring down at her, he quirked an eyebrow at her reaction. Narrowing his eyes in thought, he took another step forward, his pointed ears barely catching the sound of the hitch in her breath. A swelling feeling of male pride filled his chest as he grinned and leaned closer, his nose barely brushing along her cheek.

"Touga..."

"Hmm..?" He hummed softly, nose sliding along her jaw now, hands resting against the wall on either side of her as he continued taking in her scent contently.

"We- I should really get back out... There..." Trembling, cold hands rose up to rest against his chest lightly. Nervousness barely tainting her usual scent as he moved closer.

"In a moment." Murmuring in her ear, Touga brushed his lips against it lightly and moved them along her jaw, tracing the same path his nose took earlier as she shivered slightly. The man was barely touching her, his lips and nose only, and here she was reaching the point of spontaneous combustion. "Touga, please..."

Reaching up, he gripped her chin gently and tipped her face up so he could look into her eyes. "Niki." Murmuring softly, he closed in for the kill, his lips pressing against her own as he wrapped his arms around her gently, pulling her to his chest. A soft whimper slipped from her as Niki melted against him, fingers curling lightly against his chest, simply following his lead as he moved his lips against hers with a slow pace, simply content to take his time tasting her.

 _'Good god, he should be outlawed...'_ Niki thought briefly, her hands sliding up to wrap her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes to press against his lips harder, her lips parting just enough to let the tip of her tongue flick against his lower lip, making Touga growl in approval.

The dire need for air forced Niki to pull away, chest heaving slightly as she gasped, eyes impossibly wide as she stared up at him. Here she was, arms wrapped around the very person she just previously thought of as a friend. She had just kissed him, shared a pretty damn hot kiss with him, melt worthy even. And it didn't seem... _Wrong._

Didn't she just say to herself that she didn't think of him this way? Didn't she just say that he was her closest friend? What the hell happened to those thoughts? Gone, flown right out the window once his lips touched hers. Something akin to an electric shock swept over her at that moment and everything just vanished from sight aside from this sex god in front of her. All she could think about was that damn kiss and how much she fucking _enjoyed_ it.

Good god, what the hell was wrong with her?

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	29. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-Eight**

 **First things first: I just remembered a review from one of my readers mentioning a gift that would coincide with her sort of psychic powers? Just to straighten things out, the only people that know she can do that are Sonya, Kagome and Sango. No one else knows because the girls decided to let her tell everyone on her own time.**

 **Second: This chapter is a bit... Well bland according to me. But it's pretty important for what's coming next, so bear with me. In order to spice things up a bit, I added a little more fluff, angsty fluff, but fluffy stuff nontheless.**

 **Thirdly: The gifts were sorta random and whatnot, I just thought some of them were interesting. The main one I wanted mentioned would be the one wrapped with a blue ribbon (You'll know why once you read it).**

 **One last thing, I've realized I have quite a few readers for each new chapter, yet I BARELY get three reviews for each one. In order for me to have the desire to write more, I hate to do this, but I need to know you lot are still interested is all.**

 **Three or more reviews for the next chapter.**

 **Umm... I think that's it for now, I'm pretty sure I'll remember something else once I post this, but oh well.**

 **Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot.**

 **~TL S0nya**

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Niki spent the next couple hours in a sort of daze. Completely unable to focus or even hear what anyone said to her. All she could do was replay what had happened over and over in her mind.

The kiss.

His arms wrapped around her.

The taste of his lips.

Finally, that electric shock that ran through her over and over.

* * *

Niki pressed herself against the wall, shock running through her as she stared up at Touga, a rather satisfied-looking Touga at that.

"That... That wasn't supposed to happen." She finally managed to get past tingling lips. Those words caught his attention, earning a frown from the demon as he reached up to cup her chin gently.

"If it was not meant to be, then it wouldn't have been." Was all he said, the frown on his face deepening slightly when Niki pulled away from him, worry and upset beginning to cloud her scent. "Why are you upset?"

"Why? Why am I- Why wouldn't I be?" She spluttered, pushing against his immobile form, frustration leaking into her voice. "You _kissed_ me! I didn't want that to happen! We're just _friends,_ Touga. I told you already, I don't want a relationship like that with you!" A scowl darkened her features as Niki gave a rough shove and managed to slip past him.

"I just, I can't even _talk_ to you right now." Wrapping her arms around herself, the woman refused to look over at him as Touga walked over to stand in front of her. "Niki-"

"No, don't even try to make this better." She interrupted, still refusing to look up and meet his eyes.

Frustrated himself, Touga reached out, ignoring the way she tried to shrink from his touch, and gripped her chin tightly, tipping her head back and making her look up at him. "Do you mean to deny your reaction?"

"I- Well that is- I just..." Trailing off, Niki let out a sigh and seemed to deflate. "I don't want this."

Gritting his teeth, Touga reigned in his desire to bare his fangs. "Why do you do this? You responded to me. You pulled closer. Yet you say you have no desire for myself?" Unable to stop it, a low growl accompanied his words. Wrapping his arms around her, Touga pulled Niki's stiff body close, one hand tipping her head back once more when she tried to pull away.

"Can you truthfully say you feel... Nothing?" Leaning down, he paused slightly, his chest rumbling with contentment when she seemed to melt against him, eyes glazed over just the slightest bit. Waiting patiently, he watched her dazed expression until it sharpened and cleared again, blue eyes locking onto his golden ones with a wary expression shining in them.

"You _cannot_ lie to me." He stated firmly, gaze narrowing and he closed the distance between them, the beast residing within his mind purring in pleasure as she responded again, her hands moving up into his unbound hair eagerly.

This time he refused to slow down, his kiss insistent as he moved to press her between himself and the wall. Pulling back, he moved his lips down to her neck, relishing the soft mewl of pleasure that slipped from her lips.

"Do not lie to me." Touga growled out, claws scratching against the wall behind her as he fisted his hands. "You will not deny this." While he spoke, he trailed his lips to the juncture of her neck and shoulder, fangs flashing lightly while he pressed them against her skin. His inner beast howled at the action, demanding he mark her right then, making his arms tremble just the slightest bit.

"Touga..." Niki whimpered, unwilling to admit to herself just what he was doing to her. Tightening her hands in his hair, she struggled not to tip her head back farther for him, a faint voice at the back of her mind screaming some warning she couldn't quite make out.

Rumbling again, he pulled away, growling internally at the insistent sounds his beast made and locked his eyes onto her face. "Please stop..." Biting down on her lower lip, Niki ignored the sting as she stared up at him pleadingly.

Touga bit his tongue, the faint taste of copper flooding his sense of taste while he pulled farther back and allowed her to slip out from between himself and the wall. Blue eyes darted over to where he stood, almost glaring at the wood in front of him and for a split second, she felt guilt wash over her then she turned away and vanished around the corner, running once she was out of sight.

* * *

Feeling something tug on her shirt, Niki looked down at the little, worried faces gazing up at her. "Are you feeling ill, Lady?" One of the younger children asked, worry shining clearly in his eyes. Forcing a small smile on her face, Niki reached out and rested a hand on his head. "Yeah, I'm alright, Kiddo. Just thinking."

The children, used to her odd way of speaking, all beamed happily up at her and began pulling on her arms excitedly. "You must open your gifts then, Lady." One of them explained to her when she started questioning just what they were doing.

"O-Oh, right." Stumbling a bit, she picked up the pace and followed them over to the table of wrapped items. "You know, no one had to give me anything." She muttered, earning a few soft laughs and urges to accept them anyway.

Shaking her head, Niki forced her previous worries away and smiled while picking up one of the smaller gifts to hold it up. "Who's is this then?" She asked teasingly, eyeing the children until she spotted one of them wiggling in excitement. "Hmm... If no one got this for me, then perhaps I shouldn't open it." With a small, theatrical shrug, she turned to put it back only to have that same child let out a distressed sound. "it's mine, Lady!"

"Oh? If that's the case, then you should help me open it." Jumping up, the kid squeaked slightly with eagerness, causing another round of soft laughter to come from the gathered adults while he scrambled forward.

Smiling down at him, Niki knelt so they were eye-level and held the gift out so he could start unwrapping it with slightly trembling fingers. Once the paper fell away, it revealed a roughly carved, wooden charm attached to a short bit of rope.

Lifting it up, she studied it closely and sent a beaming smile at the nervous child. "I love it. Absolutely perfect." Leaning over, she gathered him into a hug, laughing at the surprised squeak it startled from him. Then, letting go, she straightened up and held the charm out for everyone there to see.

The small, wooden dog was in mid-jump, while rough looking and obviously made by untrained hands, she loved it already and was plotting just where she could hang the charm as she set it aside and gave her little friend a pat on the head and shooed him back to his place so she could open the next present.

It went on for a good hour, each child taking their turn to help her open the presents. Every one handmade, some were childish attempts at making either some sort of clothing or decoration. The last one being a bracelet made of wooden beads, all of them painstakingly dyed with different colors. It was from a pair of twins, a boy and girl, who she rarely saw. But apparently she made some sort of impression for them to work so hard on the gift.

Finally she was down to the last few gifts, ones from a few of the adults, the only gift wrapped in red paper she just _knew_ was from Touga, and a single, perfectly wrapped gift, held together with a blue ribbon instead of the lengths of string that the others were held with. A sneaking suspicion made her think it was from Shibori, but it was hard to tell.

A quick glance around confirmed Touga still hadn't come outside to join the others. Making her frown slightly at his childish behavior. True, she really didn't want to talk to him, but he was the headman. It shouldn't be too hard for him to sick it up and show himself to the villagers he was meant to be leading.

With a shake of her head, Niki opened one of the gifts left over, her eyes widening slightly at the white cloth that spilled out onto her hands. "O... Oh..."

Even with her meager knowledge of Japanese custom, she easily recognized what it was for. "I really don't know what to say..." Trailing off, she lifted her gaze from the wedding shroud and to the crowd in search for whoever gave it to her.

One of the women stepped forward, a shy smile on her face as she drew level with Niki and reached out to touch the cloth lightly. "I realize you may have your own made, Lady. But I wished to pass it onto someone I know would treat it respectfully." She explained softly, a gentle shine in her eyes. "As I have no daughter and have not been able to birth another child. I wish you would accept it."

Blinking at her, Niki turned her head to the smiles of everyone else. Each of their reactions, a few of the gifts even seemingly clicking into place. They thought she and Touga were engaged! Sure it was one thing for them to assume they were courting, but for them to actually think they were _engaged?_ Biting on her lip, she debated telling them the truth and turned to meet the expectant gaze from the woman.

Deciding to just let it go for now, she sent a small smile at her and looked back down at the gift in her hands. "Thank you, I would be honored to accept something so precious to you." Casting a smile at her, Niki held the shroud to her chest tightly while the woman bowed and returned to where she had been standing earlier.

Carefully wrapping the cloth back up, Niki turned to the rest of the gifts and slowly unwrapped each one, exclaiming over them appropriately even while she was still in a daze from the woman's generous gift. The meaning behind it wasn't lost on her, in fact it pretty much slapped her in the face with how important it was.

It wasn't long before she reached the last two gifts, the ones from Touga and what she suspected was from Shibori. She had purposely waited until the end to open those mostly because of how important they both looked and two... She _had_ been hoping the sulking demon would suck it up long enough to show his face while she opened his present, but nothing doing apparently.

Holding back the sight that threatened to slip out, Niki picked up Shibori's -Well, what she suspected to be the maid's. A quick glance over to her proved absolutely nothing.- and hefted it playfully, trying to get her to react. When no one came forward, she frowned and opened it slowly. The ribbon slid off of the paper, letting the wrapping fall open and reveal a set of leather arm guards, both engraved in silver with the words _'Lady Niki'_ on the sides. Eyes wide, she picked them up to reveal a letter underneath. Setting them aside, Niki opened the paper curiously.

Letting her eyes scan the words, a small 'O' of surprise formed on her lips, followed quickly by tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

They were from her teacher, well, former teacher if the words in the letter were anything to go by.

 _'Lady Niki_

 _I was informed earlier by the maid, Shibori, it is your day of birth. Please accept my deepest apologies for not being there myself to present your gift. I had them made previously while you were training and had planned to present them to you when your training had completed._

 _However I cannot, in good conscious, continue to be in your presence. During my time away, I found myself thinking of you more and more. It would seem, Lady, that I have fallen in love with you._

 _Knowing the Headman already desires you, I know in my heart there is no room for my love for you. I have requested of the Headman Touga to send me to a nearby village as a way to put distance between us._

 _Forgive me, Lady. The human heart is weak and you are unforgettable._

 _Loyally, Senshi'_

Covering her mouth with a hand, Niki felt herself shake with barely-concealed emotion. Seeing this, Shibori spoke with on of the guards, asking if he would gather a few of the others and escort the villagers home. Once he agreed, she moved forward to wrap a gentle arm around the trembling woman and lead her inside.

She already knew what had upset her Lady so much. After explaining to Senshi about the celebration, he had been quiet for a long time. Then in a low voice, he had told her of his thoughts on Lady Niki, explaining he had already spoken to the Headman about being sent to another village.

Needless to say, it wasn't too surprising to the maid. her Lady was indeed special, hard to ignore, and even if she didn't seem aware of it, beautiful in a soft way. With a powerful demon after her, it wasn't too much of a stretch for one of the human men constantly around her to fall in love with the woman themselves. Holding back a pitied sigh, Shobori gently lead Niki to her room and pulled her inside.

Seeing she seemed to be mentally absent, her wide, blue eyes staring blankly at the wall across from her, the maid took it upon herself to dress the Lady for bed. Without her usual complaints, Niki let her quickly undress and redress her, then allowed the maid to lead her over to the futon and tuck her in once she laid down.

 _'The poor Lady.'_ Shibori thought with a shake of her head, easily settling down beside the barely-asleep woman, a hand gently petting her head while she thought. _'It would seem she is overwhelmed.'_ Clicking her tongue against her teeth, the maid contented herself to keep watch as Niki slept fitfully throughout the night.

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	30. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-Nine**

 **First off considering I have no way to reply to you both the normal way...:**

 **Bertabee1 \- I completely understand your viewpoint, I can't stand characters like that. But the reasoning behind her reaction will be made clear in time, be patient for me!**

 **Cathy \- Don't worry about not reviewing lately, I'm not angry about it, just sorta felt a bit like my story wasn't entertaining anymore. I'd have been lucky if I got one review for a chapter I posted. I just wanted to know you all were still interested was all. Don't feel bad, please I had absolutely no intention of making you feel that way. *pat pats on the head***

 **Now that's done with, I just wanted to say thank you to all of the readers that reviewed! It seriously boosted my spirits and I cannot tell you how much it meant to read each and every one of them**

 **Yet again, I'll do it, three reviews for chapter Thirty. If I get that many I'll be posted sometime around the middle of the day (For me anyway I dunno about the rest of you. I usually post around that time when I do. Right now it's night for me.).**

 **Ummm Not much else to say other than I hope you all like it!**

 **Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

The next morning Niki woke up to her room filled with the gifts she had received the day before, even the unopened one from Touga. Without sparing the red gift a second glance, she picked out her clothes and dressed quickly.

Pausing just long enough to touch the leather guards gently, a small, sad smile hovering around her lips, Niki let herself just think about her teacher. Then shaking her head lightly, she picked up a bit of charcoal and marked another day off of the handmade calendar and headed out into the hallway.

A quick glance at the courtyard proved there was nothing left of the party. The idle thought of where the leftover food from the day before sent her towards the kitchen instead. Hesitating outside, she listened to the happy voices chattering away and allowed another small smile to grace her lips as she opened the door just enough to poke her head around the edge. Spotting Shibori talking with one of the other maids while they ate breakfast, she let the smile grow into a full-blown grin and slipped into the room.

Once the others spotted her, the kitchen fell silent, the servants each looking at her curiously as Niki seated herself beside her favorite maid. "Lady, why are you in here? You should be dining in the main room with the headman." The maid asked quietly, unsure exactly how to handle the situation.

Pursing her lips as her question, Niki settled farther into her seat. "I don't really want to be around him right now." She muttered, refusing to look up from the table in front of her. "I'm just... So angry right now."

Sighing softly, Shibori shifted closer to the Lady and gently pulled her into a hug. "I realize you are upset. But perhaps if you speak to him-"

"No."

"My Lady, all of this can easily be-"

"I said _no."_

The stubborn set to her jaw clearly indicated she refused to listen no matter what. Casting a helpless look at the over servants, Shibori lifted her shoulders in a small shrug and let Niki go. "As you say, Lady."

Sending a small, grateful smile at the maid, Niki pulled a bowl over so she could fill it with food and dug in. The rest of the servants simply let their Ladies odd behavior slide and resumed eating themselves. They had all grown accustomed to her strange actions and words over the few months she had been there. It wasn't hard to believe she would eat with them considering how easily she spoke with the servants of the shiro.

* * *

The entire day, Niki insisted on helping the servants with their chores, making it impossible for Touga to run into her in the process. One thing she noticed while stay there, was you _never_ saw a servant unless you wanted to.

While she was busy helping the cook prepare the noon meal, Shibori found herself in a difficult situation... Again. Throughout the day, Touga would ask her to bring Lady Niki to him, and each time she asked her to go, Niki would refuse.

Stepping out of the Headman's study once more, Shibori leaned her back against the wall with a thoughtful look on her face. He had just demanded she ensure the Lady be there to eat with him at noon. But she knew full well that she would refuse to go. Tugging on a lock of her hair, the maid worried her lower lip, trying to think of a way to get the Lady into the dining room and then stay there.

The sound of footsteps brought Shibori out of her thoughts. Straightening her clothes, she pushed herself away form the wall and made her way back to the kitchen. Hopefully she'd be able to figure something out quickly, the meal was about ready to be served.

Stepping into the kitchen, the scent of spices attacked her nose, while the scent was strong, it was still pleasant. Taking a couple appreciative sniffs, she spotted Niki over by the cooking pots with Kayaku, laughing lightly at something he said while stirring the fragrant food. "Lady." Turning to Shibori, Niki offered the maid a bright smile and waved her over. "Shibori, just in time. You can be the taste-tester."

Raising an eyebrow, the maid walked over and watched the young woman spoon some of the food into a bowl and held it out to her with a pair of chopsticks. "Go on, try it." With Niki's urging, Shibori shook her head lightly and took a small bite, eyes widening once the taste hit her tongue. "This is wonderful!"

"You think so?" Pursing her lips in thought, Niki turned back to the pot and stirred it again. "Indeed, Lady. If you made this, it is more than wonderful." Shibori finished up the food and set the bowl aside.

"If you're saying it's good just because I'm the one that made it, don't bother trying." Sniffing indignantly, Niki tipped her nose up in the air while the two there laughed. "You misunderstood, Lady. I merely wished to point out many women of your status do not normally know how to cook. Your food is truly good."

Smiling sheepishly at the maid, Niki brushed off the comment on her status and scratched her head. "Sorry." Feeling a grin pull on her lips, Shibori shook her head and bowed it lightly. "Do not apologize, Lady."

"I still feel bad." Shrugging her shoulders, Niki stirred the pot once more then pulled it from over the fire. "Well, it's done."

clapping her hands, the maid called attention from the servants in the kitchen. "Quickly now, the Headman is waiting." Seconds later the room was a bustle of activity, everyone getting the meal set up and preparing the try. It was rare when he ate, normally he would only drink tea. But it became apparent he did indeed need nourishment when he had requested food be brought to him as well once very seven or eight days.

Filling a bowl with her creation, Niki handed it off to one of the waiting servants so they could place it on the try. While Shibori watched, an idea began to take form. Quickly hiding the smile that began to creep onto her face, she pulled one of the younger workers aside and quietly told him her plan, earning an eager smile in return. "Of course."

Waiting until he left the kitchen, Shibori turned back to the young woman she was quickly becoming fond of and approached her. "Lady, would you kindly bring the tray to the dining room?" Shibori asked, ignoring the sharp look from Niki and held out the tray to her. "The Headman has been in a sour mood as of late, many of the servants do not wish to be in his presence."

Snorting lightly, she turned away to help the cook finish preparing the dishes for the servants. "And why should I do it?" Biting down on her tongue least she say anything that would ruin her careful plans, the Lady was incredibly stubborn and it was beginning to wear the poor maid down. "My Lady, please. I would not ask you otherwise if there was another way."

Growling under her breath, Niki grit her teeth and grabbed the tray. "Fine, but don't expect me to talk to him." Muttering something about heartstrings being tugged softly under her breath, she followed a suspiciously pleased Shibori as she lead her towards the dining room.

Once out of the kitchen, the servant Shibori spoke to earlier stepped inside and called for attention. "Shibori requested we prepare another tray for the Lady. Hurry before they reach the dining room." The cook smiled wryly and shook his head, knowing full well the Lady would not be happy they had done this.

Preparing another tray, the servants chattered excitedly. Hopefully the Headman and Lady would speak and settle whatever problem they had so the shiro would calm once more. Watching the servant leave carrying the Ladies tray, Kayaku sent a silent prayer to the kami for luck.

* * *

Stiffening her spine, Niki stepped into the dining room, fingers turning white with how tight she was gripping the tray in her hands. Following Shibori, she placed the food in front of Touga, still refusing to look at him.

The sound of the door opening again made her look up however and frown when another servant walked in carrying another tray. "I already brought his food."

"I know this, Lady." Licking his lips nervously, he shared a look with Shibori and quickly placed it in front of her usual spot. "I was requested to bring your meal in here." Dragging his gaze away from the maid, he caught the dark glare the Lady was sending his way and quickly stood to back away. "Apologies, Lady." Bending in a hasty bow, he fled the room.

Fuming silently, Niki clenched and unclenched her fists a few times then turned to her supposed friendly maid. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

"Forgive me, Lady. But consider the household. Many of us are uneasy with the anger between you two." Bowing low, the maid beat a hasty exit as well, the door staying open just long enough for Niki to see two guards standing outside.

Throwing her hands up in the air, she growled impressively. "I'm being held captive by the people I thought I could _trust!"_ Shouting the last word, she made sure anyone outside heard her. Sending one last scowl at the doors, Niki spun around on her heel and settled down at her tray, still fuming at the audacity of her supposed servants. Granted she never really treated or saw any of them like that, it just wasn't in her to do it. But weren't servants supposed to... Well, _Not_ do this?

Folding her arms, she glared down at her food, studiously ignoring the stare Touga was sending her way. It was ridiculous really, she had finally managed to calm down while helping all of them that day. She didn't even think about Touga once or why she was angry at him until a few moments ago when Shibori asked her to bring his food in.

Of course, she should have known, it wasn't hard to miss the nervous energy surrounding the older woman as she lead her to the dining room, but still. She trusted her completely, and this was how it ended up.

Alright, Niki knew it was childish to act this way, but the attraction she had for the damn dog scared the shit out of her. Last time that happened... Well best not to dwell on those thoughts at all. Forcing herself not to wince at the image of the last man she loved as it danced in her mind's eye, she picked up her chopsticks and stabbed viciously at her food.

They may be able to hold her in here for lunch, but she'd be damned if they tried to keep her in there longer if she didn't talk. She knew quite a few things about fighting now and would not hesitate to use them on anyone trying to stop her.

A smirk twisted her lips to the side at the thought of body-slamming one of the guards outside to the floor and walking off as he lay there in a daze. Granted she wouldn't be so gently treated should she be trained by any of the guards later for that, it would definitely be worth it.

While she mulled in her thoughts, Touga continued to study the woman beside him. He had been angry before, his blood nearly boiling with her obvious refusal to see him all morning. But curiously the second he caught her scent, his anger faded away to almost nothing. Oh, he was still irritated, but it wasn't anything more than that now.

Clearing his throat, he watched her shoulders stiffen slightly then relax once more. "I wish to speak to you."

"Well I _don't_ wish to speak to you." Was the quick reply, a soft, human growl accompanying her words as she flung them at him.

This would be more difficult than he thought earlier. To be honest, Touga was completely baffled by her rejection. It was obvious she desired him yesterday when he had finally initiated contact between them, the scent was still stuck in his mind even. But afterwards... She seemed... More than upset, he would almost say she was near tears with sadness, but it had been quickly replaced by anger when she shoved him away.

All night and morning questions burned in his mind, but for now, he would settle for one answer and leave the situation be. Perhaps when she had calmed enough, they could speak at length, but not now. "I merely wish to ask a question. Should you answer truthfully, I will leave you be."

A slight twitch of the ear facing him drew his curious glance to it. That was another thing! She was very obviously human, fully and completely, not a single drop of demonic blood flowed in her veins. Yet she carried so many demonic actions it would almost seem she were perhaps a quarter of his kind. The twitching in her ears being one of them. Never had he seen a human's ears twitch in such a fashion, and along with making him curious, it amused him to no end.

"Fine." Hearing her sullen reply, Touga placed his chopsticks down and studied her a moment longer. When it became apparent she wouldn't face him, he dropped his gaze to the food in front of him instead. "While you had been upset before... You had returned to the party. Afterwards, I had been informed the celebration ended abruptly when you fell into a shocked state. This morning, you refused to come close to me and even now radiate anger towards my person. My question is this, what changed to make you so angry?"

Chewing on her lower lip in thought, Niki thought over his answer, uncertain herself as she put her own chopsticks down and twiddled her thumbs. Something she did whenever deep in thought over something, recognizing the unconscious action, Touga settled back and waited, knowing she would reply when ready.

Truthfully, she couldn't really put her finger on it herself, she just knew it had something to do with the letter her teacher had sent her. On top of that, all the obvious gifts pointing to her and Touga getting together just piled on top of it. Frowning, she closed her eyes and let her mind wander over the information cluttered in her mind, sorting out the important and tossing aside anything that wouldn't help.

Just as Touga reached for his cup of tea, she opened her mouth and spoke quietly. The words spilling from her lips nearly freezing him on the inside with the empty and cold tone she used.

"Because, from the very moment we arrived here, everyone seemed to be under the impression we were engaged, betrothed or whatever word you use. At first I brushed it off, considering the year we're in and the fact that we are two adults living in the same house, it was kind of obvious to everyone anyway." She paused and frowned, gathering her thoughts before she lost where she was going with this. "The point is, from the very moment we started living together, everyone thought I belonged to... You. No one wanted to do anything because of that. And because of your overbearing claim on me, no one wants to try." Finally looking up, she locked a pair of ice blue eyes onto him. "Because of this, I have no choice in the matter. You seem to think I'll sit back and just let this happen, you're wrong. I have no chance to even find my own happiness because of you. Because of you, the only person that admitted to themselves that they cared for me on a deeper level than friendship decided to move away just so he wouldn't piss you off. Because of you, I don't get to choose who I want to be with."

Standing up, her voice rose with her words, anger and frustration finally taking it's toll on her as she fisted her hands at her sides. "I will never get to find someone myself, all because _you_ decided that I would be yours and that was it. I don't get to say no, I don't get to see if someone else would be a better fit for me. _NOTHING!"_ Narrowing her eyes, Niki clenched her jaw tightly, trying to control her temper as it boiled. "I'm not angry, Touga. I am _pissed off_." With that said, she spun around and marched to the doors, swinging them open wide and glaring at the nervous guards standing outside. "Move before I make you move."

A quick flick of their eyes towards Touga made her scoff and shove past them anyway, marching down the hall and towards her room so she could be alone and calm down. Already she could feel a painful headache beginning to grow at her temples and the only thing she knew would help right now would be some nice cold air, like the private garden. If Touga knew what was good for him, he would leave her alone for the time being.

* * *

Sitting in stunned silence, Touga stared blankly at the open doors where Niki had stormed out just moments ago, her words and accusations bouncing around in his head until it hurt. Leaning forward, he let his forehead rest in the palms of his hands and closed his eyes.

When he listened to what she said and truthfully thought on it... She was right. From the moment he decided he wanted her, he simply assumed he would get what he wanted, not caring anything about what she might have wished for. He simply assumed she would wear down and finally admit she cared and wanted him too.

Never in all of his years of life did he think she might have wanted the choice of choosing her mate. In his mind, he was the perfect specimen, strong enough to keep her safe, his position as Headman would keep them comfortable and not that he wanted to boast, but both Sesshomaru's and Inuyasha's mothers had praised him while in bed.

To be told she wanted to be able to choose was something that just... Never occurred to him at all, he simply believed she would see these qualities and want him for it.

But now, he had made a horrendous mistake he worried would never be fixed. Judging from what she had said, already one potential suitor had been driven away simply by the knowledge that he wanted her. And apparently had made it known to her his feelings and as to why he was leaving.

Gritting his teeth, Touga scraped his scalp lightly with his claws in frustration. How could he have been so damn blind? She was a woman, so her reaction to him was obvious, he knew he was attractive to the female eye, and had simply assumed her desire had been more than lust.

Dropping his hands, Touga got to his feet heavily and headed for his study. For now, he knew space and time would be best for them. A quick letter to his son to ask if he would accommodate her for a few weeks should be met with at least a small amount of gratitude. And while she was away, he would think of his actions and find something to somehow fix the mess he had inadvertently caused.

* * *

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	31. Author Note

**Okay sooo, I decided to enter 'Surrender Unto Me' on Inkitt for kicks. the url -Minus the inkitt part- is** **/stories/50129** **Just copy and paste it onto your browser after typing inkitt dot com. PLEAAAAAAAAAAASE VOTE! I probably won't even get in the top 10% considering how late I entered, but I can still hope.**

 **Anyway, another thing is I know I haven't posted in a couple of days and that's because of this: My daughter's birthday was the 16th (Just turned 5!) and then we both had doctor's appointments yesterday. Today was hectic because we finished up Christmas shopping, mostly my kid buying gifts for people and then wrapping them. To put it plainly, I'm wore out, so please be patient until at least tomorrow, I'll be posting another chapter then. I've already finished half of it right now, I just don't think I'll be able to finish and post it tonight.**

 **I think that's it for now, please go check out my story on Inkitt and vote! I love you all!**

 **~TL S0nya**


	32. Christmas Special

**Christmas Special**

 **Ho Ho Ho! I know it's a few days early but I decided to write an extra long special chapter (It really has nothing to do with the main plot, considering the main plot itself doesn't hold a place for this chapter in it from what I'm going to be doing in it so...) for you all to enjoy.**

 **Unfortunately considering the house I live in hosts the main celebration here... Much like Thanksgiving, I don't have a lot of time to write. I managed to type up half of the next chapter so far, but I don't want to post a half-assed one either, so please enjoy this little bit I wrote instead.**

 **I know it's a bit choppy and it jumps around a lot, but it was either that or end up with two or three chapters of this as well, so... Just enjoy!**

 **I will warn you, I will NOT be posting any new chapters until sometime AFTER the 25th. There's still a lot left to do to get ready so I've been pretty busy as of late. Please understand and be patient for me!**

 **Now this chapter took me a whopping three hours to write, three hours straight of no stopping either. I know it's kinda under my usual writing skills, but I was working overtime just so I could get this out now rather than wait and do it. I know you've all been waiting for an update so I wanted to do something at least.**

 **A whopping 9,444 words! That has to be a new record of some sort on my end for a single chapter. Whew!**

 **Oh! And a reminder, I posted 'Surrender Unto Me' Onto Inkitt's fanfiction contest. Two or three more votes and I'll be in the top 100 stories there, please go and vote for me! I regret to say, you do need to make an account to vote though, but it's completely free and I could use as much help as I can get considering how late I entered. I just want to get in the top ten percentile at least, so please, pretty please?**

 **Ummm I think that's it, so here is 'Draw Me In's Christmas Special'. Please do enjoy!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

Humming 'Jingle Bells' to herself, Niki strode along the halls of the shiro, one person in mind for the job she had and it needed to be done in absolute secrecy. Turning another corner, she spied her target and let a small grin show through her calm mask, said person spotted her, and with a look of worry, attempted to escape.

She had expected this, knowing his hesitance for what she had in mind, had already planned ahead for his escape. Shibori stepped out from the connecting hallway, effectively cutting off his escape route and making the poor man slump his shoulders in defeat.

"That's a good man." Niki winked at her partner in crime, the maid in turn smiled back. "Good job, Shibori. Help me get him to my room, would you?" Seeing the maid's eyebrow raise at that, the young woman blushed lightly and scowled. "Get your mind out of the dirt, it's the only place I know I have complete privacy."

Shibori laughed softly and patted Niki on the shoulder before they both grabbed onto the scribe's shoulders and frog-marched him back the way she came. "Lady, please, I cannot-"

"You can and will. Just because Touga doesn't know doesn't mean it's horrible."

"My Lady, please-"

"Oh hush up and get in there." Rolling her eyes, Niki turned to Shibori and asked for a tea tray to be brought in while they worked, despite the scribe's complaints, and disappeared inside.

* * *

Blocking the door with one of the low dressers, Niki turned to eye her prey curiously, noticing the faint sheen of sweat beading on his forehead as he shifted nervously in the middle of the room. "Come now, are you really that worried? Come on, the guy's a big softie, sure he looks mean but I can tell you safely you won't get in trouble for this."

Waving a hand at his half-protests, she strode over to the desk she recently acquired and waved at the cushion sitting in front of it. Papers, ink pots and several different brushes all spread out on top of it's surface, ready to use.

"Come on, we gotta finish this before someone other than Shibori shows up." Tipping her head to point at the desk, she watched the scribe slump slightly and settle down on the cushion. "My Lady, if I may be so bold. Why do you need me to write? I've been told you can do so on your own." The scribe looked up at her curiously, a small frown pulling at his lips as Niki settled down beside him on the floor.

"I can't write with those brushes, last time I tried, it just looked like a big blob of ink in the middle of the page. I like using my pens anyway, besides I want the invitations to look fancy, and I'm sure you can make them look real good." Flashing a wide grin over at him, she leaned forward and poked his forehead lightly. "Come on, lighten up, everyone here already knows I'm way different, so don't look so surprised that I can't use those brushes." Leaning back, she watched him rub his forehead lightly and fiddled with a strand of her hair in thought. "What's your name anyway?"

Adverting his eyes, the scribe looked down at the writing utensils in front of him instead. "My name is Kashikoi, My Lady."

Another smile broke across Niki's face at what he said, leaning back against the wall behind her, she waved for him to pick up one of the brushes. "Go head and get ready, I just need you to write down that they're invited to a Christmas celebration at Headman Touga's household."

"Cris-t-mas?" Kashikoi frowned at the unfamiliar word and glanced back over at Niki who was currently picking at a loose thread on her hakima. "I do not know what that means."

"It's a celebration, like I said. Friends and family, or in our case, packs, get together, give each other gifts and just enjoy each other's company. You eat and sing and just well, spend time together is all." Shrugging her shoulders, Niki looked away this time, a small bit of pink staining her cheeks. "Look, it's something from where I come from and I kinda miss it. My birthday is exactly fifteen days before Christmas so we only have a week to get those letters out so they have enough time to get here."

Kashikoi smiled for the first time since she spotted him in the hallway and picked up one of the narrow brushes, dipping it in one of the ink pots to prepare writing. "Lady, Headman Touga has a demon hawk in his service as a messenger. It will only take a day or two at the most for these... Invitations to reach the members of your pack."

Niki looked over at him, a grateful smile pulling at her lips. Then, with a firm nod to her head, she clapped her hands and waved at the paper in front of the scribe. "Alright, better get these done then. I need one for Sesshomaru and Sonya, another for Inuyasha, Kagome and Shippo, then there's Sango and Miroku. Might as well add Miyoga and Totosai on another too, I know they're friends of Touga so..." Trailing off, she tapped her lower lip with a finger in thought, trying to figure out anyone else she might need to invite.

"Hmph, I might end up having to ask Touga anyway, damn." Muttering under her breath, she settled back and watched Kashikoi brush lightly across the paper, elegant words springing forth before her eyes. _'Man, I really need to learn how to use those things. It's almost artwork to look at.'_

"If you wish, My Lady, I can always teach you whenever I have time." Jerking back in surprise, Niki eyed the man in front of her warily. "What are you, some sort of mind-reader?"

Shaking his head, the scribe laughed loudly before remembering just who he was laughing at and quickly stifled it with a guilty look in her direction. "No, I merely assumed you wished to learn from the look of concentration on your face while watching me. My apologies for laughing, however."

"Eh, don't worry about it. I'd have laughed too in your place." Sending a smile in his direction, Niki scooted closer to watch him continue writing curiously. Another strange concept she had come across after regaining her memories was she understood what was being said by everyone else, however she still couldn't read kanji. Which was another reason she had asked the scribe to write, it was a bit harder to explain that she couldn't write their language yet she could speak it fluently, so it was just easier to not say anything on her part.

However, if he was willing to teach her, he'd have to know that little tidbit of information in order to teach her properly. If anything, Niki was never one to do something half-assed. Deciding to tell him at a later time, she patted him on the shoulder lightly, gaining his attention once more. "I'd love to learn, Kashikoi. We'll have to work out a schedule for us sometime after the celebration."

Nodding his head quietly, he turned back to his work, already setting aside one of the invitations to dry as he started on another one. It would only take a little while for him to finish the work, the real wait would be for the ink to dry. Once it was, he would be able to roll the papers up and send them off with the hawk, hopefully without the Headman knowing. While he was reassured knowing she wouldn't allow him to get into trouble over this, there was the deep-set rules from serving the other Headman that made him worry nonetheless to do something without his knowledge.

A soft knock at the door notified the two there Shibori had returned with their tea, making Niki get to her feet and drag the low dresser away from the door and open it with a wide smile. "Oh, look we even get some snacks, Kashikoi." She called over her shoulder as the maid walked in and set the tray down on the unoccupied table off to the side. "Once you finish that one, take a break and join me, would you?"

"Of course, My Lady." He replied idly, distracted by his work at the moment, eyes focused on the brush moving across the paper in front of him with delicate strokes. Laughing lightly, Niki shook her head and looked over at Shibori who was pouring tea. "Come on, I know you wanted to talk, there's three cups."

Flushing at her Lady's astuteness, Shibori dipped her head lightly and prepared the other two cups before settling down beside Niki, eyes drawn to the steam rising from her cup as she lifted it. "I wished to speak to you about this celebration you are planning, Lady."

"Hm? Oh, it's nothing much, you don't have to worry about getting a bunch of stuff together for it." Niki waved a hand in the air, brushing off any protests the maid might make. "Look, it's for everyone, even the servants here in the shiro. The guards too if they feel like taking the night off anyway. I was thinking about having a party for the whole village the day before, a bonfire, lots of food, maybe a few games or something."

Shibori's eyes widened slightly at what the young woman was saying, it was incredibly generous for her to invite the servants and guards of the shiro to the private celebration she was holding for their family-pack. Then also she planned on having a separate celebration for the whole village as well!

Watching her Lady, Shibori studied the faraway look in her eyes curiously. She seemed to be lost in thought for the moment, it must have something to do with this celebration she planned. Deciding to keep her thoughts to herself, the maid sipped her tea and relaxed slightly. Moments later, they were joined by the scribe as he sat across from them with a small, cheerful grin on his face.

Keeping silent, Shibori listened to her lady and the scribe speak, it would seem they planned to have him teach her how to use the brushes to write with instead of the odd utensils she normally wrote with. The maid had seen her use them on a couple of occasions, even once asked to test them out herself only to find the slender item difficult to grasp without her fingers cramping.

She seemed eager to learn how, from the way she spoke, the Lady viewed writing with brushes akin to a sort of artwork, which, when Shibori thought on it, was partially true in some form. She seemed to love anything to do with creativity, and strived to learn and master each different type. The maid herself already had been attempting to teach her how to dye clothing when asked about it. However her attempts left the cloth heavy and damp, the color faded in some places as well, making the Lady slightly downcast about it. She had attempted to cheer her up by stating it took many years to perfect such a practice, and it seemed to work at least a little, however she still seemed upset she didn't grasp it quickly.

Shaking her head lightly, Shibori lifted her teacup to her lips again, hiding a small smile as she took a sip from it once more. The Lady was determined to perfect any task set before her, and when it didn't come easy, she became upset and worked even harder than before. It was a desirable trait in any person, in the maid's view, however it became troublesome when she attempted to do something on her own without anyone there to help guide her. Shibori had then learned never to leave the clothes alone in a room with a dying vat when the Lady happened to have nothing to do at the time.

It had taken a few weeks for new clothes to be made and brought to the Headman after she attempted to dye his hakima and Haori a deep blue only to have it end up a dark purple in some places and light blue in others.

Bringing herself back to the present, Shibori turned her attention to the Lady once more just as she was explaining that those celebrating this Christmas together would exchange gifts to prove they thought of each other while they had been separated. It was the spirit of giving, she said, a small smile appearing quickly. "My Lady, I must ask, what types of gifts would be given at this celebration?" The maid asked once she fell silent, bringing the Lady's attention back to her.

"Oh, well with friends and family, it's usually something they know the other person would like. Like me, You know I love writing and anything to do with art, so paint, brushes, canvases or anything along the lines of that would be really good for me. Touga likes to be reminded people think he's strong, so probably armor or a weapon specially made. Maybe something rare would suit him, something hard to find."

Breaking off, Niki shrugged her shoulders lightly and picked up one of the rice balls on the tray to nibble on. "I don't know about the rest though, I'm pretty sure Touga would know, so I'd just ask him what would be best."

The scribe and maid shared a silent look, smiles playing around both of their lips before they turned their attention back to the tea and rice balls in front of them. It wouldn't do to bring up the fact she seemed to know exactly what Headman Touga would like, yet have no idea what any of the other members in their pack would.

It would just be best to let her discover that herself.

* * *

Finally, two hours later, the invitations were ready to send out and Niki was in full gear to get the shiro ready for the upcoming celebration. She only had fourteen days to get the village celebration ready and then fifteen to get the shiro ready for their own party.

Within hours the servants were in a small uproar, with Niki in the lead as she began explaining the types of decorations needed for the party and then went on to teach the cook how to make something she called 'sugar cookies' and 'icing'. Granted, using rice flower wasn't the same and the cookies weren't as soft as she was used to due to missing baking powder, they were still good, and coated with a thin layer of icing along with powdered sugar that she showed some of the servants how to make by grinding the sugar they already had with a mortar and pestle, they tasted great.

Like she suspected, however, it didn't take Touga long to realize something was going on with all the noise and odd decorations being put up around the shiro. She even managed to convince a few of the guards to follow her into the wooded area outside of the village to find what she called a 'Christmas Tree' and cut it down so they could bring it inside. However the problem with it drying out and dying, she had to find a way to water it without getting it all over the floor.

It was Shibori that came up with the solution, bringing in a large, but shallow basin to settle the tree in, a few blocks of wood held it in place and allowed enough space between them for water to soak into the base of the tree.

Then there was the problem with decorating the tree, without electricity, there were no lights besides candles and to be honest, fire and pine needles just didn't set right with her, Niki didn't care it was how the settlers did it in the past, she wasn't going to.

"If only we had something that glowed without fire." She muttered, eyeing the tree full of paper decorations she and several other servants made. Cranes and other various pieces of origami settled in it's branches, a couple of other things added in here and there. Such as the wooden dog charm she had received for her birthday and a small bracelet from one of the female servants. After making promises to give each item back, a few others stepped forward with small things to add on until the tree was almost complete.

"My Lady, if I may..." Turning around, Niki spotted one of the guards bowing behind her. "I know of an old Youkai that lives in the woods, I have seen him on occasion, and it would seem he uses his energy to make items such as the ones in the tree glow without the aid of fire." Looking up, he caught the sparkled-eyed look she was giving him that indicated she was excited. "Oh! That would be wonderful! Shibori, grab some help, we have a few more things to make before we're finished with the tree here."

A few hours later the guard left loaded down with a large bag full of more origami pieces for the youkai to 'make glow', along with another written invitation to the celebration at the shiro as a sign of thanks should he do this.

Turning around, Niki studied the decorations surrounding the shiro and smiled wide. It wasn't like she was used to back home with the glowing lights and glass ornaments, but it was pretty either way. With a small nod to herself, she turned to leave only to run smack-dab into Touga's chest instead.

"Oww... What are you made of, stone?" Niki groaned, rubbing her nose with a scowl on her face. Looking up, she caught sight of amusement dancing in his eyes before he turned to study the new decorations he had spotted throughout the shiro on his way there. "I noticed the scent of pine beginning to become stronger, as well as the servants seemed to be busier than usual." Turning back to look at her, he watched as she shifted slightly on her feet, something he recognized as an unconscious action she did whenever faced with a question she either wasn't wanting to answer, or ready to.

"Niki." He rumbled, watching as she shifted again and ducked her head down. "Look, it's just something I used to celebrate back home, that's all." She muttered finally, visibly wilting under his penetrating stare. Raising an eyebrow, Touga cast another appraising look around the room, noting the tree standing in a corner covered with various items he suspected were meant to be more decoration of some sort. "I see."

Peeking up at him, Niki smiled slightly and lifted a shoulder in a half-shrug. "It's a celebration of family and friends... So I invited some friends..."

Stiffening slightly, he sent another look over at her as she shifted once more, hands tugging on the edge of her sleeve. "Friends?"

"You know, the pack."

Letting out a silent breath, Touga repressed the urge to rub at the pressure beginning to build between his brows. "Why did you not tell me of this?"

"Because I wanted it to be a surprise." Her soft reply caught him off-guard, making him look back down at her and relax once more. "I see. This would explain why my scribe asked to use the messenger hawk and then refused to tell me why." Seeing her cheeks turn red, he chuckled lightly and reached out, resting his hand on her head. "Very well, we will hold this celebration."

"Really?" Niki peeked up at him hopefully, watching the easy grin spread across his face with a small smile of her own. "I thought about holding a separate celebration for the village too the day before our own..." She trailed off, eyes still shining hopefully up at him as Touga chuckled once more. "I suspected as much when you had stated you wished to hold a celebration for the pack." Leaning over, he looked her in the eyes, a gentle shine in them. "You are very generous, Niki. And it is an admirable trait." With that said, he turned to leave the room and examine the rest of the decorations around the shiro. "If there is any need of help, you know where I am." He called over his shoulder before he vanished down the hallway.

* * *

Within a few days the replies for her invitations began to show up, the first one coming from Sesshomaru and Sonya, which simply stated they would be arriving at his father's shiro within a day. The next coming from Inuyasha and Kagome saying they'd be glad to come and they'd be there by the end of the week along with Sango and Miroku.

Miyoga and Totosai had replied the same day Sesshomaru and Sonya showed up saying that they would be arriving within a few days, apparently it was snowing not too far off from where the forge was and they wanted to wait for the storm to pass before leaving so they wouldn't end up caught in it.

As for the demon the guard had told her about, he had simply replied he'd be happy to charm her decorations, however he did not care for crowds and sadly had to decline the invitation. But he had extended his own to Niki and Touga to visit whenever they wanted, he may not like crowds, but he enjoyed company from time to time as long as only a few people came.

All in all, it was a busy time for the next two weeks for those residing in the Headman's shiro. After hearing about her desire to hold a celebration for the village as well, Touga had sent out a few guards with the message to prepare the village for the party. With Niki's help, the entire village was decorated with brightly glowing origami, and a large tree sat in the center for the villagers to decorate as they saw fit.

Once she finished, Niki headed back to the Shiro for a nice hot dinner with Touga, Sesshomaru and Sonya, then a hot bath with her favorite wolf so they could catch up and relax. All in all, it was a busy, but good day.

* * *

"What is this Christmas thing we're doing anyway?" Inuyasha asked curiously, watching as Kagome, Sonya and Niki flashed each other happy grins while they made sugar cookies in the kitchen. "I told you, Inuyasha. It's a celebration for friends and family. You all get together and just have fun, you give each other presents and just enjoy the time you have with them." Kagome patiently explained for the third time that day, the half-demon just didn't seem to get the idea behind it all. She shook her head sadly and returned to molding the cookie dough in front of her into a lumpy tree. "Agh, I just can't make it look right!"

Niki peered over her friend's shoulder and laughed at the misshapen lump in front of the miko. "It's because you're squeezing it too hard. Here, flatten it out and use a knife to cut the shape out, it'll probably be easier for you."

Kagome grumbled under her breath as she accepted the cutlery Niki handed her and began flattening out the dough once more. "I was never any good with arts and crafts, just ask Sonya."

"Oh yeah, didn't you make that paper mache llama for art class one year? That looked pretty good." Sonya glanced up from her snowman cookie with a fanged grin pointed at her favorite miko. "No, it was supposed to be a dog." Kagome sniffed in return, making Niki laugh again as she started working on another cookie. "Relax, I'm sure it looked like a great llama-dog."

"Hmph." Sniffing slightly, Kagome turned back to her work, intent on ignoring the two snickering girls on either side of her as she tried to cut out a Christmas tree once more. "This isn't working, isn't there something else I can do?" She whined, giving up on her third attempt, brown eyes looking beseechingly over at Niki who plucked at her lower lip in thought.

"Well you can ice them if you want, but I don't think that's as much fun." She waved a hand over at the bowls of icing, she had managed to get her hands on raspberries and blueberries to give them color, the added bonus was they tasted awesome on their own, the downside was she couldn't keep herself from eating the icing by itself and completely forgetting about the cookies.

"I can do that!" Cheering brightly, the miko jumped up from where she was and hurried around to the other side of the table where a stack of finished cookies waited to be decorated. "Don't use too much or it'll just make a mess." Niki added wryly, watching as Kagome attempted to add a huge glob of the blue icing onto one of the cookies.

"Oh, right..." Sending a sheepish smile over at her, she put the spoon back in the bowl, scraping off most of the icing and this time only added a light coating to the cookie instead. "How did you make this stuff anyway? I always used store bought."

"Hm? Oh, I love to bake, so one day I decided to try my hand at making icing too, turned out alright for my first try, I even got a few other people to start using that recipe instead of just buying it at the store. It makes it easier to personalize, you can add in flavors you like, use extra ingredients to give it a little more body to it, my sister even started using whipped cream in her own version..." Niki trailed off, a small smile hovering around her lips before it vanished quickly once more. "Anyway, it was really just a happy accident I found out how to make it." Shrugging quickly, she ducked her head back down and focused on the cookie she was making in front of her once more.

Sonya and Kagome shared a sad look and turned their attentions back to the cookies once more. It was obvious to anyone Niki missed her family, especially around this time of year. Maybe that was why she decided to invite everyone back for a Christmas party, something to take her mind off of it.

Inuyasha, having heard and watched enough, got to his feet and wandered back through the shiro to where his father and brother were in the dining room, drinking tea and discussing one thing or another. Plopping down beside his father, Inuyasha shook his head at the maid offering him a cup of tea and turned to the older male beside him. "Did you know Niki had a sister?"

Touga eyed his younger son silently then placed his cup down on the tray in front of him. "No, I did not. She rarely speaks about herself aside from various things from time to time. This would be the first I heard of her having siblings."

"Keh, she was just talking about her sister with Kagome and Sonya in the kitchen. Seemed pretty sad about it if you ask me." Folding his hands into the sleeves of his haori, Inuyasha turned to study the tree standing in the corner curiously, letting his father think over the new bit of information he had just given him.

"Father, is it really that hard to believe she had a family before?" Sesshomaru broke the silence, gold eyes narrowed in thought as he watched Touga frown. "She came to us under unusual circumstance, however never spoke about herself after regaining her memories. It is not difficult to believe she did not wish to speak of herself simply because it would be too painful." Inuyasha snorted lightly, earning a frosty glare from his brother as he continued. "However, it would be prudent to find out what we can about this woman, she may wish to return to her family and only end up endangering the pack in doing so."

"And what makes you think this?" Turning to his eldest, Touga frowned slightly at the thought of that slip of a woman being a danger to anyone. Then again, he had seen her during training, she could be vicious when she wanted to be...

"Our pack, while odd, is well-known for having both humans and demons in it. Many already know she is part of it as well, they could use that information to attempt to lure us into a battle should she be caught alone and captured." Sesshomaru turned his gaze down to the cup in front of him, debating on if he should say anything about his and Sonya's own discovery recently, but was saved from making the decision as his father stood.

"I understand what you are saying, Sesshomaru. However, I do not believe her to be so blind as to attempt to leave without any type of security." Sending a sharp look at his sons, Touga made his way to the door and paused. "The safety of the pack is important, however each member has their own views on how things should be, remember that." With a final look over at them, he turned the corner and headed for the kitchen where he could smell the sweet scent of 'sugar cookies' wafting towards him.

* * *

It wasn't long before Totosai and Miyoga joined them, and by then the Shiro was becoming rather crowded, so many voices and there was someone always around the corner wherever Niki went.

She was ecstatic.

After months of it just being her, Touga, the servants and guards, it was a welcome relief to see so many other people wandering around and talking in the shiro. It wasn't quiet for one moment, and she wouldn't have it any other way.

Grinning to herself, Niki checked to make sure the hot spring wasn't occupied and placed the sign on the door stating it was a female using it before quickly undressing and sliding into the steaming water with a welcome sigh of relief.

Due to the fact that she didn't realize there was a room for Totosai, -Miyoga could really sleep anywhere.- She, Kagome, Sonya and Sango all decided to bunk together in her room for old time's sake and to give them a chance to talk without overprotective mates hovering around.

It was the second night they stayed together that Sonya came forward with the fact she and Sesshomaru recently discovered she was pregnant. She tried to act sullen about it, but they all saw how excited she was.

It didn't take more than a day for the news to spread like wildfire, leaving Sesshomaru and Sonya in the center of a whirlwind of well-wishers and deep congratulations on their new children.

Watching the two of them, Niki grinned wryly as she studied Sesshomaru accepting each congratulation with his usual stoic facade. _'If his ego gets any bigger, it won't fit in the village, let alone the shiro.'_ Laughing under her breath, she turned around and left them alone to enjoy the moment. It was good news all around, Kagome and Inuyasha both were helping Edo set up a trade with another village nearby that was well known for their ability to produce much needed every day items, such as bowls and soaps.

Shippo was attending fox exams every month and had gone up another rank since they'd last been there, Sango and Miroku were training some of the willing villagers to defend themselves against demons should they attack whenever Inuyasha wasn't able to take care of things, such as if he weren't there or it was his human night.

Totosai had just been commissioned by Touga to make a new sword and couldn't be happier with the prospect, he was already plotting out different ways to make it work for the demon with Miyoga piping up with various ideas of his own.

It didn't take long for the day of the village celebration to arrive, and loaded down with gifts she had specially crafted for the children, Niki lead the procession into the village center where the tree stood tall and proud, each household contributing to it's decoration with various little things.

A small mob of children surrounded Niki and her armful of brightly wrapped packages. Laughing happily, she lead them over to the tree and had them help her settle the gifts down under it's branches. The rest of the pack watched on curiously while Kagome and Sonya wandered over to help as well, they knew what the celebration was, the rest... Were left in the metaphorical dark.

Giggling with each other, the three girls watched as the children gathered around the tree, exclaiming over the gifts and generally excited about everything. Glancing over at Touga, Niki smiled and nodded slightly at him, their signal for the announcement he would make. Getting the other two's attentions, she gestured over to where he stood and wandered back to where the rest of the pack were standing.

Clearing his throat, Touga called attention to himself easily, the villagers all falling silent one by one as they turned to stare at him expectantly. "This is a celebration for friends and family, to gather together and enjoy one another's company and to celebrate life itself." Pausing, he sent a look over at Niki to see her smiling brightly at everyone as he spoke and continued. "Tonight we celebrate Christmas with one another in hopes of a good future. With this celebration my gift to each one of you is enough food and wood to last through the winter snows."

This announcement was met with dead silence, each of the villagers staring at him in absolute astonishment. It had been Niki's idea, while she had gotten the children gifts, small toys and new clothes, she had wondered out loud just what they could gift to the parents of each family. Together they had finally come to the decision of offering the comfort of food and wood to keep them healthy and warm throughout winter.

Without warning, a roar of cheers and applause sounded, startling those with sensitive hearing, Inuyasha's ears plastered flat to his head as he winced along with his brother and Touga, Sonya choosing to just cover her ears instead of braving it out like the other two were.

Laughing again, Niki shook her head and waved over at the small group of musicians to come forward. It was really just a few of the villagers she learned could play different instruments, after finding this out, she had dug through the shiro for hours on end until she came up with several unused instruments for them to use.

While a few others started the bonfire, she ran through the music she practiced with them one more time before letting them have at it. Soon the sound of 'jingle bells' began to play, urging many of the villagers to gather together and dance while Niki stood off to the side, simply content to watch as they enjoyed themselves.

"You do not plan on joining?"

Niki jumped slightly at Touga's voice and shot him a quick look then relaxed once more with a smile on her face. "No, this is their party. I just wanted to see how happy they'd be."

"They are very happy as you would say." He murmured, moving to stand beside her rather than behind, his golden eyes turning to survey the villagers and his pack mingling together, either talking or dancing. "Good, that's all I wanted for them." Shifting slightly on her feet, she folded her arms over her chest and moved a little closer to Touga, leeching the heat radiating off of him at the moment. She was too far from the fire to really feel warm at the moment and he was like a space heater.

"Are you cold?" Looking up at him, Niki frowned and nodded reluctantly. Not willing to leave and warm up, but it was getting harder to ignore the shivers beginning to make their way across her body. Without a word, he reached over and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, tugging the young woman into his side and letting her warm up against him as he turned back to study the people gathered.

"This was much needed. I am pleased to say your plan for this celebration was indeed a good one." He said quietly, not bothering to look down at her as Niki pressed her shoulder against his side more, easily leaning against him as she too watched. "Yeah, I'm glad."

Looking up at him, she waited until he looked down and smiled brightly. "Thanks for letting this happen, Touga. It means a lot to me, and to them."

"I could not deny something so well thought out." He snorted, acting like she had wounded his pride. "Do you believe me to be so cold?"

"No, you're warm. I just wanted to say thanks, you jerk." Niki jabbed him in the ribs with her elbow and stuck her tongue out at him playfully, earning a low growl in return. "Come on, let's get the food out here, I'm starving."

Touga chuckled and pulled away from her to head back into the shiro where a small army of servants waited for his order to begin bringing the trays of freshly cooked and prepared food out into the village. Another stroke of brilliance from her, to insist on feeding everyone there considering they had a slight overabundance in food without him eating as much. Most of the items were what she had called 'finger foods', something that could be eaten out of the hand and without chopsticks. However considering the cold weather, she had insisted on two pots of stew and soup to be made as well to warm anyone up who decided to eat it.

In short, she had spoiled the village, but instead of becoming greedy like he suspected many humans to be, they had been simply grateful and gracious when the trays began making their way outside, four guards, two to each pot, carrying the soups outside as well.

It didn't take long for a long line of people to appear once the food had shown up. The celebration would have been held in the shiro if Niki had her way, but he had quickly head off that idea by explaining it wasn't large enough to hold all of the villagers.

When everyone was full, and things began to calm down again, Niki strode over to the tree and called for attention. "Alright, I need all the kids over here in front of me. Come on, let's go!" Clapping her hands, she grinned as the children of the village ran over to her eagerly, a few of the shyer ones needing to be urged by their parents to walk over. Once they were all settled down in front of her, she planted her hands on her hips and leaned close, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

"Do you all want to hear a story?"

The children, already spellbound by the Lady of the village, nodded in agreement, a few wiggling in excitement at the idea alone. Settling down on the ground in front of them, she leaned her chin on her hands and smiled wide at them. "I'm going to tell you a story I was told as a kid every night on Christmas Eve."

After looking over each little face, she smiled wider and began to speak. "It was the night before Christmas, and all through the house. Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse..."

The adults had moved closer to the Lady as she spoke, each of them as spellbound as the children in front of her, young eyes shining at the prospect of a magical man called Saint Nick that brought presents to the children of the world.

"And as he drove out of sight, he cried _'Merry Christmas to all, and to all, a good night!'_ The End." Sitting back, she laughed as the kids all began cheering wildly, some clapping others practically climbing on top of her in an attempt to give her a hug. It was such a common occurance whenever she visited the village, the parents didn't bother to try and pull them away, knowing full well the Lady didn't mind one bit when they did it.

"Alright, alright, if any of you want presents, I think you should get back in your seats." Grinning at the shining prospect in each little face, she waited until they settled back down and turned around to grab one of the red presents. All of the gifts were generic girl/boy items. The red cloth wrapped gifts were for the girls, and the green ones for the boys. Being as bad as she was remembering names, it was just easier that way.

Holding up the gift, she eyed the children and pointed to one of the girls, watching as she scrambled to her feet and rushed over in excitement. "This one's for you, now remember, no one open their gift until everyone has one, alright?" Turning to look at the other kids, she waited until they all nodded and turned back to the task of handing each one out.

When everyone had their own present, Niki grinned and nodded at their expectant looks, making another wave of childish voices rise up as they eagerly unwrapped the gifts. Exclamations were heard all around as the children held up what they had gotten, rushing over to their parents to show them and chattering away.

Each child had been given one toy, handmade by the carpenter, tops and such for the boys, dolls for the girls, she seamstress even chipped in draping scraps of unused cloth around the dolls for clothes.

Along with each gift was enough cloth to make one outfit for each child no matter their size or height. She'd have gifted them the actual clothes, but it was hard to do that when everyone had their own sizes. Grinning wide, Niki waved off the parents profuse thanks, her own eyes sparkling happily at the sight of so many smiling faces. "Don't thank me. I wanted to do this, and I don't want thanks for it. Just enjoy them."

Standing up, she brushed the snow from her hakima and sent a look over at Touga, clearly stating she was exhausted and prompting him to state they were returning to the Shiro and for the villagers to enjoy the rest of the celebration without them. Walking over, she let Touga wrap his arm around her shoulders and lead her back to the shiro, a few members of the pack following behind, some of them deciding to celebrate just a little bit longer before turning in themselves.

* * *

A soft knocking noise brought Niki from her dreamless sleep, prompting a groan to rise from her, along with her current roommates as another knock sounded. "My Lady, it is nearly noon. Surely you ladies would wish to be prepared for the celebration tonight as well?" Shibori's amused voice drifted through the door, earning another groan from those inside.

"What was wrong with me to suggest two parties right after each other?" Niki whined, burying her head under her blanket as Sonya slapped her in the head with one of her tails. "I don't know, but I'm about ready to throw you out in the snow for that idea." Kagome groaned from across the room.

"Oh shut up, it was worth it." Sitting up, Niki yawned wide and cast a bleary look around the room, eyes squinting slightly without the aid of her glasses. "Come on in, Shibori."

Sliding the door open, the maid studied the four women laying in various places around the room and clicked her tongue lightly. "You have slept much too late. The men have all been up since sunrise."

"The men? Seriously?" Sango's muffled voice drifted over followed by an incredulous look from the slayer as she sat up as well. Shibori pursed her lips in an attempt to hide the smile threatening. "Perhaps not all of them. I am afraid your husband is still asleep as well."

"Of course he is." She groaned and let herself fall back onto the futon behind her. "I'll wake him up in a few minutes..."

"I believe that will not be necessary. Inuyasha had stated he would do so himself-" She was cut off by a loud string of curses followed by a familiar half-demon's laughter as he ran down the hallway. "I will get you for this, Inuyasha!" Miroku yelled, running past their door as well in pursuit.

"Well, that's one thing I don't have to worry about." Sango yawned, ignoring the soft giggles from the other three women there.

"Is the hot spring empty, Shibori?" Niki yawned again, one hand covering her mouth and the other groping around on the floor beside her for her glasses.

"Yes, Lady. I had especially made sure no one would enter the spring before any of you." The maid bowed her head lightly at the sleepy smile Niki sent her way. "Thanks. We'll be out in a minute."

"I will tell Headman Touga you are awake then." With another dip of the head, Shibori left the room as the girls began to get up and gather their things for an extensive soak in the spring.

* * *

"I feel like a new woman." Niki stretched happily, her arms reaching over her head. "Mmhm..." Sonya mumbled, still half-asleep even after taking a bath as she stumbled along beside her human twin. "I could go for another couple hours of sleep."

"No kidding..." Kagome yawned beside the wolf, her hand reaching up to cover her mouth before she spoke again. "Along with a big lunch to make up for breakfast."

"It is too bad we cannot eat in our sleep." Sango agreed from Niki's other side. "No kidding." Sonya and Kagome both muttered, earning a laugh from Niki as she pushed the door open to the dining room.

"We're here."

"Keh, took you all long enough. We've been waiting forever."

"Good to see you too, Inuyasha." Niki snipped, poking him in the back of the head halfheartedly as she passed on her way to her seat. "What took you so long anyway?"

"We were tired, Inuyasha. Then we took a bath before coming here." Kagome growled at him, settling down in her seat on his left. It was obvious she wasn't quite awake yet with her lack of good mood at the moment. Reaching over, Niki poured herself a cup of tea and settled back in her seat with a small yawn. "Man, I got a feeling I'll be yawning all day at this rate."

"You..." Sonya broke off and yawned herself, a small growl accompanying it as well. "And me both." Not even bothering to get her food at the moment, the wolf simply leaned her head on Sesshomaru's shoulder and closed her eyes. "So. Frikking. Tired."

"Mmhm..." Sango murmured, eyes on her food but hand still poised above it with empty chopsticks in them.

Touga shared a look with his sons and shook his head at the female's. It would seem it was not only Niki that did not quite wake up right away. "There is much left to do. I would suggest you all eat before we begin."

Niki groaned under her breath, the list of things still piling up in her mind as she went over all the unfinished tasks that had to get done before the party started at sunset. By then, she'd be fully awake, but she needed to be awake now.

"Coffee..."

"Oh kami, _yes."_ Sonya moaned from where she still lay against her mate. "Coffee sounds soooo good right now."

A small noise came from Kagome, prompting everyone there to look over at her in question as she jumped to her feet. "I completely forgot, I have instant coffee in my bag!"

Hearing this, both women perked up and looked over at the miko expectantly. "Well, go get it!"

Without another word, she ran from the room with more energy than she had just a few seconds ago. Niki managed a real grin this time when Sonya sent one her way and motioned to one of the servants nearby. "Could you get a pot of hot water for us? Some milk and sugar too."

"Right away, Lady." Bowing his head, the servant rushed off to the kitchen, passing Kagome on the way out as she ran back into the room, greeted by two happy cheers when she held up the small container of instant coffee.

Moments later all three women had a cup of bitter-smelling liquid, each of them adding generous amounts of milk and sugar to them before stirring and taking a sip out of their cups.

"Oh my god, that is better than anything." Niki sighed, the taste of caffeine tingling on her tongue as she savored her coffee happily.

"Better than sex." Sonya agreed, earning a few choked sounds from some of the others in the room. "What?" Peeking up at Sesshomaru curiously, she frowned at the slight downturn of his lips. "What did I say?"

"Drink your... Coffee." He murmured, unwilling to get into another argument over her choice of words at the moment. Shrugging lightly, she turned back to her drink and took another sip.

With caffeine buzzing in their systems, they'd be able to tackle anything this day would throw at them, that was for sure.

* * *

A handful of hours, several arguments and three broken dishes later found the pack and other members of the shiro gathered in the dining room near the tree, hands exchanging gifts they had been prompted to bring in their invitations. An assortment of different foods and treats -along with plenty of sugar cookies- were laid out against the far wall, free for whoever wanted something to eat while they settled down to open a small pile of gifts they had been given from every one else.

As each package was opened, exclamations and in some cases soft thanks were heard. In Sesshomaru's case it was a nod to whoever had given him the item, a man of few words much to Sonya's continuing irritation. After jabbing him in the ribs for the third time, he simply stood and picked the wolf up in his arms to stride from the room, words of goodnight sounding behind him over Sonya's loud protests.

Chuckling lightly, the rest of the pack settled down, studying their gifts curiously, especially the ones from Kagome and Sonya. They had gone back through the well to get their gifts, as well as bought wrapping paper for them. Niki had gotten the promised paint set from Kagome along with a dozen canvases from Sonya. Apparently their gifts to each person coincided with each other. Touga had received a handmade dagger from Sonya and a sheath with his name stamped on it from Kagome as an example.

As the night wore on, the saki began to flow, prompting the human members of the pack to become rather... Erratic.

 _"Jingle bells!"_

 _"Batman Smells!"_

 _"Robin laid an egg!"_

 _"Batmobile lost a wheel!"_

 _"And Joker got away, hey!"_

The three future girls had their arms slung around each other, slurring out the song together much to the other's amusement. Sango had gone to bed not too long before that, and Miroku had followed her with a worried expression on his face.

Apparently the three girls from the future were closer than ever, leaving the slayer left out. In her fogged state of mind, Niki recognized this and frowned slightly in the direction of the door after they finished their song.

After a few more drinks, she pulled the girls aside and murmured -slurred- her worries to them. With a quick agreement, the three of them set out on a short adventure to find Niki's room where Sango had been sleeping with the rest of them.

It took longer than it should have, several wrong turns found them facing the hot spring instead. However it was a happy accident considering the slayer could be seen soaking in the water. Sharing a look, the three of them stumbled through the door and splashed into the water, arms wrapping around a startled Sango as they began spilling profuse apologies to her.

It took her several minutes to calm the teary-eyed women down, but once they were, Sango sent them each a small smile. "I understand you all share something special. Something I can never be apart of, and I cannot begrudge you for this friendship you have."

"Sango, we never meant to push you away..." Kagome murmured, stripping off the wet clothes and flinging them away with a wet splat on the ground. "Yeah, you should have said something. We just get caught up sometimes." Sonya piped up, her own clothes being tossed over her shoulder as she relaxed into the water. The alcohol in their systems being sweated out in the water.

"I feel pretty guilty about it, Sango. I really am sorry about it." Niki added, eyes on the water as she put her clothes to the side as well. "I just... It's really hard to live here without a single person understanding what I'm talking about half the time is all. I get kind of excited when they do."

Moving over, the Slayer settled down beside Niki and put an arm around her shoulders in a small hug. "It's fine, Niki. I understand." She murmured softly, earning a small smile from the young woman. "Are we okay then?" Kagome piped up from where she relaxed, eyes locked onto Sango while she spoke.

Taking a moment to soak her hair in the water, Sango eyed the others in the spring with her and smiled again. "Yes, we're okay."

* * *

According to Niki's calendar, it was the first of January when it was the time for everyone to leave. A lot of hugs and teary goodbyes on her part, it was finally just her and Touga standing in the entryway of the Shiro, watching as the pack stepped outside of the courtyard and split up, Sesshomaru and Sonya heading towards the Western Seat, the rest heading towards Edo.

Turning to face Touga, she let out a small sigh and smiled lightly. "Well... You can't say that wasn't eventful. You're gonna be a grandpa apparently." Laughing at the look he shot her, she turned and walked back into the shiro, intent on using her new paints and canvases when a hand settled on her shoulder.

Looking back at him, she quirked an eyebrow as he stared silently back. "What?"

Opening his mouth, he went to say something, anything about how he wished he could help her celebrate with her family back where she came from, but he couldn't get the words to form. Even if the words were a hollow comfort, the idea of her leaving sent a wave of discomfort roaring through him. Closing his mouth, he simply pulled her into a hug and buried his nose in her hair.

Taken by surprise, Niki stiffened slightly and looked up at what she could see of his chest and neck in confusion. When it seemed he wasn't going to let her go anytime soon, she reached up hesitantly and wrapped her arms around his middle gently, simply accepting whatever comfort he was giving her for reasons of his own. She wasn't one to reject a warm hug anyway.

Finally feeling his arms loosen their hold, Niki pulled away and looked up at him again curiously. "What was that about?"

"Does there need to be a reason behind such a thing?" Was his reply, a familiar twinkle in his eyes as he looked down at her. Smiling wryly, she reached up and poked his forehead lightly. "No, I guess not. Can't say no to a hug." Shaking her head, she chuckled and walked away once more, leaving Touga to head in the direction of his study. Even after all of the excitement over the past couple of weeks, things went back to normal fairly quickly.

It wasn't too different from the Christmas parties she had at home after all.

* * *

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	33. Another Contest Entry

**Hey it's me again, I decided to enter** ** _Watashi ga shitteita dareka (Someone I Once Knew)_** **and** ** _The Color Blue_** **Inkitt's new fanfiction contest. Considering the amount of words needed for a story to be submitted only needed to be 2,000 words then it was fairly simple to enter them. On top of which I had already previously added those stories onto my account on there so I just had to click them to enter!**

 **Anywayyyy I'd greatly appreciate your help once again, please please PLEASE go onto Inkitt, PLEASE make a free account and look for my stories on there to vote? I really really hope to place in the top ten percent with one of them at the very least. Not to mention if I do somehow by some miracle I place 1st, 2nd or 3rd I'd be able to add that to the description of the story too!**

 **So I'm asking you as a writer and a fellow fanfiction lover, please vote for me?**

 **~TL S0nya**


	34. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30**

 **I know! Finally another chapter, I'm just as surprised as you are! Wow, just wow, I gotta congratulate myself on the 18 days it took me to write this thing *heavy sarcasm*.**

 **Anyway, I really am sorry for how long it took me to write this, very very VERY sorry. I've been working through several different ideas for how this would go and finally settled on the best one. (Meaning I wrote down all ten ideas, put them into a hat and drew at random. They were all really good and I couldn't choose properly.) Anyway, Finally settled on this for now, it might change later, but I dunno yet.**

 **So now, we get to have fun with Niki being confused. Not as exciting as the last few chapters, but it's kinda important. The next one is going to be set up differently than normal, just a warning.**

 **I think that's it for now, and to all of you wishing me merry Christmas, thank you all!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters.**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

Niki sunk into the hot water of the hot spring with a low sigh. eyebrows still pinched together with irritation as she tried to relax. _'The nerve of everyone!'_ Gritting her teeth, the woman growled and sunk lower in the water, just her nose and eyes above it as she stared blankly across the steaming liquid.

Thinking back on it, Niki supposed they meant well, maybe now Touga would back off after she talked to him. A snort sounded at that thought, eyes narrowing. _'As if! According to him, I'm his and I get no say in the matter.'_ Another growl slipped from her as she straightened up and grabbed the shampoo. It wasn't productive to sit there and stew, best thing was to try and put everything behind her for now and try to relax.

Scrubbing at her hair rougher than needed, she gritted her teeth and tried to force the matter out of her mind for the moment. Letting her eyes close, she dipped under the water and rinsed the soap out before adding conditioner. Turning around, she rested her arms on the cool stones lining the edge of the spring, her head resting on them lightly as she stared out at the snow laying on the ground not too far away, idly amused she could be so warm and comfortable outside while being naked.

Humming under her breath, Niki let her eyes drift shut, the thought of only resting until her hair was ready to be rinsed skittering across her mind seconds before the black of sleep wrapped around her.

* * *

As the sun began to set, Touga turned his attention away from his son's reply, ever grateful for the insight to have the same son send one of his demon hawks to him as a messenger should he need quick replies to anything sent out. It only took a couple of hours for said hawk to fly to and from his son's place in the Western Seat of his lands. Of course it didn't hurt to live in a village three days away from the palace should someone walk there on foot from here.

Sesshomaru and Sonya had agreed to take in Niki for a few weeks, with winter already arrived, there wasn't much for them to do other than the usual dealings with villages and their headmen when food or supplies ran out. Apparently Sonya wasn't settling in as quickly as Sesshomaru had hoped according to his letter, it would seem the wolf was uncomfortable with so many people bowing and treating her like royalty, she tended to stay away from the servants as much as possible and insisted on keeping Rin company while Sesshomaru was busy.

His eldest had been, what Touga would say was excited in his reply, but knowing Sesshomaru, he was relieved to have someone else around to help Sonya acclimate herself. Niki was much the same in the terms of servants treating her like they did, and after a few months, they had finally begun to relax around her enough so she felt comfortable. It was sheer force of will she managed to get them to stop calling her Mistress, even though she began calling her Lady instead, she seemed to accept it for the moment. However, Touga suspected she would begin to work on that too after a while.

While the Western Seat had more servants running around, many, if not all, were demons as well. It would be harder to change their minds after centuries of serving. But after seeing the two of them together, it wasn't hard to imagine the both of them would somehow manage to wear the servants there down.

Nodding to himself, Touga penned a quick reply and sent it off with the waiting hawk. Watching it vanish into the distance, he frowned slightly, wondering for just a moment how things would be around the shiro without her around then shook it off. Knowing full well she didn't want to see him, he knew it would be best for her to hear from him about her going to visit her friend, a small, selfish part of him wanted to see her eyes light up at the prospect of seeing someone she was close to again.

* * *

Shibori shook Niki's shoulder again, a small, worried frown pulling at her lips as she once again, attempted to wake the Lady from her nap in the hot springs. "Oh, Lady, why must you make things so _difficult_ for me?" Sighing softly, she shifted Niki slightly and managed to pull the smaller woman from the hot water so she could cool down on the snow just on the edge of the spring.

"Lady, Lady!" Narrowing her eyes, the maid slapped at her Lady's cheeks lightly, earning a soft groan from the woman as she fluttered her eyes open slowly, a hazy look in them. "Wha-"

"My Lady, you fell asleep in the springs again. You should know by now you cannot allow yourself to do that. The heat gets to you much faster than anyone I had seen before." Shibori scolded Niki as she sat up slowly, a hand moving to her head with a low groan. "Ugh, don't yell at me."

"I will yell until you understand your health is at risk if you stay in the springs too long." The maid planted a hand on her hip, eyes narrowed in frustration, watching as her Lady stumbled to the drying cloths sat aside the springs.

"Alright, alright, next time I get in, I'll let you know so you can check on me after a while. Happy now?" Scowling over her shoulder, Niki wrapped the cloth around herself, shivering slightly when a cool breeze slipped into the grotto and brushed against her still wet skin.

"Very much so, my Lady. Now follow me so I can dry and dress you in proper clothes." Sticking her chin up slightly, the maid took her Lady's arm and lead her from the springs, back to her room and shut the door tight behind the both of them. "You must hurry, the Headman has something he wishes to tell you."

"Hmph." Snorting through her nose lightly, Niki plopped down on her futon and watched as Shibori dug through her clothes to find something warm, but not heavy for her to wear. The maid seemed to understand without her saying anything, that she didn't like to be too warm. Of course, it might have something to do with getting dizzy in the springs way before anyone else would.

"I can't help that I don't like heat that much, Shibori. But a hot bath is the only way I can really enjoy it." Frowning slightly, Niki dropped her eyes to the small puddle on the floor in front of her, deep in thought.

"I understand, Lady. However you must remember to leave the springs before it gets to be too much for you. I will not always be there in time to get you out before you either slip under the waters, or become too sick in the heat." The maid murmured quietly, laying out the clothes beside Niki so she could get dressed. "I worry for you."

"I know you do." Niki smiled gently at her favorite maid and slipped the clothes on slowly then stood still so Shibori could tie the obi behind her with brisk professionalism. "There, now to the headman's study. No delay."

Pushing gently on her Lady's back, she urged the young woman to leave her room. Stepping back, she followed at a small distance, sharp eyes keeping watch to make sure she didn't try to escape like she had tried to during the day.

* * *

"... What?"

Looking up from the scroll in front of him, Touga eyed Niki standing in front of his desk with a confused look on her face.

"I had stated you are to prepare for travel. My son and his mate had agreed to let you stay with them in the western seat for a week's time." It had nearly choked him to say it the first time, yet the damned female wanted him to repeat himself. She would be the death of him, he was sure of it.

"No no, I heard you the first time. I just... I don't understand why." Niki plopped down on the cushion in front of her, eyes narrowed slightly in thought as she took in the demon in front of her.

Biting back the urge to sigh, he set the scroll aside and folded his clawed hands in front of him, opting instead to stare at them rather than her while he spoke. "What you had said... I understand the mistake I had made. You desire space from myself, in order to be certain you are safe, I sent a request to Sesshomaru and asked for you to stay with he and his mate for a short time."

"You... Did that so I could... Calm down?" Niki's eyebrows drew together slightly as she stared at Touga.

"Correct. I desire space from yourself so I may think clearly as well." Taking in a breath, he steeled himself for what he was going to say next, knowing full well it would anger him, even if it was his own idea to do so.

"While you are away... You are... I..." Gritting his teeth, he looked up and locked gazes with the woman across from him, the only woman it seemed, that could make him stumble over his words in such a way. "I will not interfere should you desire someone else to be your... _Intended."_ Spitting out the last word past locked fangs, he looked away once more, this time opting to look out the open shoji doors behind him.

"You say that, but I have a sinking suspicion you're angry." Niki stated dryly, making him wish he could growl at her. "I do not enjoy the thought." He admitted finally, still refusing to look at her as he watched the light snow drift down onto the already covered courtyard.

"However I understand your desire to find your own. And I will not stop you from doing it. Should you wish to be with another... I will not interfere, as I had stated."

Opening her mouth, Niki stared at Touga, trying to think of something to say but coming up blank as she flapped her lips slightly. "You... You really mean it?"

"I would not have stated so if I did not... Mean it, as you say." Glancing down at his desk, Touga plucked the scroll he had set aside and held it out to her. "Sonya had sent her own letter to you. Sesshomaru had asked for me to give it to you so it may be read before you arrive."

Raising an eyebrow, Niki took the scroll and stood back up. "Alright... Well... I'll just go pack then." Feeling oddly hesitant, she sent a searching look at Touga, then left the study.

Once the door shut behind her, Touga let out a low breath, his golden gaze shifting towards the courtyard once more. A week with her gone would be time enough for him to come to terms with the fact she may very well choose another. And despite the howling of his beast, he would not stop her should she do so. Even if he wanted her as he did, her happiness meant more to him.

And if she gained happiness from another, it would be enough to see her smile. Even if he was not the one that caused it.

* * *

Hours later, Two trunks and a travelling bag later, Niki stood in the center of the courtyard, saying goodbye to the servants and guards she had gotten to know during her time there, a sad smile pulling at her lips as she accepted each well-wisher and their express desire for her safe trip.

One small gleam of light shone on her however, after finding out Sonya had suggested she bring Shibori along, as many of the servants in the western seat still were 'iffy' about humans at the moment. They wouldn't hurt her, she had said several times in her letter, but they wouldn't go out of her way to help either. Apparently she felt the need to warn Niki about the differences between their ways of living when writing the letter she did to her.

Of course Shibori, who read the letter to her, had been bursting with excitement. The very chance to see the western seat, to explore the castle of legend, was a chance she never even thought of dreaming about until then. Rushing around the room to help her Lady pack her clothes as well as the gifts she had gotten for her celebration of birth as Sonya requested she do in her letter.

Being mated to an Inu had given the wolf a very strong sense of curiosity that wouldn't easily be quenched apparently.

Shaking her head at the guards hefting the trunks onto the back of a carriage, both of them complaining about the weight in a playful fashion, making suggestions that women couldn't travel without packing half of their belongings just to earn a weak smile from their favored Lady.

"Thanks you guys." She murmured, a small hand resting on one of their shoulders in gratitude when they finished packing the stuff in the back.

"It is of no problem, my Lady." Both of them sent wide smiles her way and moved to help her into the carriage, it went unsaid they, as well as the rest of the residents in the shiro, as well as the village, would miss her deeply while gone. But it was only for a short time, and then she would return to them once more.

"Safe travels my Lady, Shibori." The guards nodded politely to them as they settled into the carriage comfortably. It would take three days to get to the western seat, then she would spent a whole week there and travel another three days back, a total of thirteen days away from her home.

"Thank you. I won't be gone long, once I get back you all can tell me everything I missed." Niki grinned at him then settled back while Shibori fussed with the blanket she was trying to get her to wrap around herself with a bemused look on her face.

"Of course. I will write down each day's activities until you return." The older guard, Hirobiro, smiled gently at her, reminding Niki of a favored uncle rather than a soldier.

"You don't have to go _that_ far." Rolling her eyes, she settled back and watched as he grinned and shut the door to the carriage, closing them in the slightly warm area thanks to the many blankets and pillows Shibori had stuffed in there before they climbed in.

A moment later, the carriage jolted slightly, warning them it was on the move, leaving the two women on their journey to the western seat at last.

 _'He didn't even come to say goodbye.'_ Niki mused to herself, eyes drifting to the small window set in the side, eyes locked onto the shrinking image of the shiro as they moved farther away. _'Eh, what do I care, I'm going to stay with Sonya for a while, cheer up you idiot.'_ Slapping her cheeks, she ignored the questioning look Shibori sent her way and pulled out one of her favorite scrolls for her maid to read while they traveled.

At least something for them to do during the long three days.

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	35. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31**

 **Welp here's that odd chapter I told you about last A/N. Hope it's alright, I kinda like the story I wrote in it, actually, it was a dream I had a week or so ago, really thought it was cute, but the ending there is a LOT sadder than I remember it being in the dream. Might be my usual angst showing it's way through or something, but whatever.**

 **Anyway, enjoy this little extra, next chapter is gonna be kinda upsetting, so be prepared.**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

 **A Girl and Her Dog**

 _ **There once was a Dog, loyal to his family, powerful and proud. No other was like this Dog, born under the crescent moon.**_

 _ **There once was a Girl, beautiful as the snow lily, and smart as the scholars that taught her. No other was like this girl, born from mortal parents.**_

 _ **The years passed by, and the Dog grew restless, he yearned for adventure like the days when he was a pup. So, under cover of night, he slipped away from his family and pack to explore like he once did many years ago.**_

 _ **The Girl, born from mortals, raised to be a princess, felt trapped. Unable to even see outside the walls of her own home, grew weary of her life. She longed to see the world outside, and so, she slipped away under the cover of night.**_

 _ **The Dog, searching for adventure.**_

 _ **The Girl, longing for more.**_

 _ **They would meet under the Crescent moon sky, as the fates had written for them so long ago.**_

* * *

Niki frowned slightly as Sonya paused the story to take a drink of water, her thoughts going a mile a minute. "Uh, explain to me again how exactly is this story important for me to hear?"

Sonya's blue eyes twinkled with mischief as she grinned over at her human counterpart. "Because I said it was. Do you want to hear the rest or not?"

Heaving a frustrated sigh, Niki sat back against the pillows and waved a hand at the wolf to continue. "Alright, fine."

"Thought so, now shut up and just listen, alright?" A fanged smirk stole across her face, Sonya looked back down at the scroll in her hands once more.

* * *

 _ **The Girl, enjoying her freedom for the first time in her life, failed to see the men following her, evil intent in their eyes. They knew who the Girl was, and wished to destroy her parents by destroying her.**_

 _ **The Dog, smelling the danger and the Girl, grew curious and moved closer so he could see. There in the light from the night sky, knelt a Girl, staring at the water in front of her, obvious enjoyment on her face as the men crept up behind her.**_

 _ **Not knowing who the Girl was, the Dog stayed silent and hidden, choosing to watch for now, wanting to know more about the danger in front of him. Seconds later, the men jumped on the Girl, tying her up and ignoring her screams for help.**_

 _ **Deep inside the Dog, a beast howled at the Girl's screams, confusing him as to why it reacted in such a way. Curiosity, a strong trait in his family, pulled at him to draw closer, to reveal himself.**_

 _ **Stepping from outside the trees, the Dog towered over the men and Girl, frightening them deeply and sending the men running away, leaving the Girl behind, tied up and at the mercy of the Dog.**_

 _ **Seeing the frightened tears in her eyes, the Dog shifted, drawing himself deep inside and stepping forward under the image of a man instead, quelling the Girl's fears if only a little.**_

 _ **Kneeling beside her, the Dog cut the ropes from the Girl and watched with deep curiosity as she moved away from him, the scent of fear and confusion surrounding her.**_

 _ **'Girl, why do you fear me.' The Dog asked, eyes shining the color of precious metal watched as she turned and looked at him.**_

 _ **'Dog, why did you save me.' The Girl replied, earning a look of approval from the Dog. Despite her fear, she was brave, and he could understand that better than anything.**_

 _ **'Those men, why did they want you.'**_

 _ **The Girl fell silent, eyes studying the Dog in front of her, unsure if he planned to do the same with her should he know who she was.**_

 _ **'I will not harm you.' The Dog said finally, trying to quell the Girl's fears.**_

 _ **'I am a princess. The men would have killed me to destroy my parents.' The Girl finally said softly, her eyes drifting away from the Dog and staring out over the water instead, it's still surface reflecting the sky above.**_

 _ **'I see. It is dangerous for you to be alone.' The Dog murmured, his gaze still locked onto the Girl. 'I will return you safely home.'**_

 _ **'I do not wish to return home.' The Girl turned to look at the Dog finally, a fire burning in her eyes he had never seen before. 'I wish to see the world, to know how it grows old.'**_

 _ **The Dog, feeling the same, grew silent, allowing the Girl to continue with her explanation.**_

 _ **'I have not seen outside the walls of my own home. This is the first I have smelled the air that did not blow through open doors, that did not pass over dusty streets.' The Girl grew silent, her eyes drifting down to her hands as she pulled at the grass.**_

 _ **'It is not safe.' The Dog finally said, making the Girl look up at him once more. 'You will only be attacked again.'**_

 _ **'I do not care.' The Girl, locking gazes with the Dog, refused to back down from her decision.**_

 _ **'Allow me to accompany you.' The Dog said suddenly, surprising the Girl with his request.**_

 _ **'Why would you want to accompany me.' The Girl asked in confusion. 'I am certain you do not wish to spend time with a mortal such as myself.'**_

 _ **The Dog did not understand his decision himself, but the beast inside demanded he do so, and with curiosity, allowed the desire to come forth. 'I will do as I please.'**_

 _ **The Girl, not knowing anyone outside of her home aside from the Dog, did not know what else she could do. It was made clear she would need protection only moments after leaving her home, and the Dog did not seem to desire to harm her.**_

 _ **'Very well.' With this decision, the Dog and Girl left together, to travel far and wide and explore the world around them.**_

 _ **It was not long before the Girl's father began to send soldiers to find her. Asking far and wide if anyone had seen the Girl and where she might be.**_

 _ **The Dog, hearing the questions, made sure to keep the Girl far away from the soldiers, selfish in his desire to keep the Girl beside him, if only for a little longer.**_

 _ **The months passed, the seasons changed, the Dog and Girl fell in love.**_

 _ **As the first flowers of spring began, the Dog and Girl consummated their love, laying together under the blossoms of the trees above them. They understood their love would never be accepted, but desire and their hearts would have no other.**_

 _ **Time passed, the Girl discovered she carried a child and still did not wish to return home. She wished to stay with the Dog, forever, and to never leave his arms again.**_

 _ **However, the Dog knew it would not be long before his own family would find him, and should they find himself and the Girl, they would kill her, and the child she carried.**_

 _ **The Dog, knowing she would never understand, returned her to her home and father in the cover of night, her sleeping form laid on the futon as he turned to leave. Deep sadness clawed at the Dog, but instinct drove him to protect the Girl, at all costs.**_

 _ **And so he left, shedding his human form to once more return to his family.**_

 _ **The Girl, upon waking, understood instantly the Dog had left her, and wept tears of deep sorrow. The months passed, and her child grew, unable to be hidden away any longer.**_

 _ **Her father, finally knowing the sire of her child, refused to let her leave the home again, locking her away and keeping guard to be sure the Dog did not return for her.**_

 _ **The seasons changed, winter blew snow over the landscape, the Girl grew weary of waiting.**_

 _ **The Dog, after many had found the Girl and the child she carried, fought long and hard, each day to keep her safe from those that wished her harm. The wounds grew in number, unable to heal as they were torn open time and time again.**_

 _ **The Girl, gaining few supports, had managed to send a letter out for the Dog, expressing her feelings, the loneliness she carried on her shoulders and the desire for him to be there for the birth of their child.**_

 _ **The Dog, after reading the letter, knew he had no other choice than to go. The Girl asked and he would answer, the beast within would have it no other way.**_

 _ **And so, after a battle that tore his body, the Dog departed, intent on reaching the Girl before the birth. The soldiers set to protect the Girl, tried to stop the Dog. But were torn asunder by a powerful fang.**_

 _ **The Girl, thinking to have the trust and faith of her guard, was betrayed by the same man, ran through by the very weapon he defended her with moments after giving birth to her son.**_

 _ **The Dog, hearing the cry of his newborn, tore through the castle in search of the Girl, finding her laying in a pool of her blood.**_

 _ **The Dog, with his shining fang, brought her to life and sent her away as the guard returned to kill her and the Dog.**_

 _ **The Dog, in order to protect the Girl and their child, died, taking the guard with him into the netherworld in order to ensure their safety.**_

 _ **The Girl, without her Dog, grew sad and clung to the child they created together, the ears sitting atop his head a reminder of the one her heart longed for until the day she died, moving to a new life, one without the haunting memory of a Girl and her Dog.**_

 _ **The child, left alone in the world, disappeared from sight, never to be seen again.**_

* * *

"Why the hell would you read such a sad story to me?" Niki scowled at Sonya as the wolf set aside the scroll with a satisfied look on her face.

"Gives you a little glimpse of your own Dog." Shrugging her shoulders, Sonya got to her feet and moved towards the door. "Just think of it this way, every single story you can find in this library, always stem from a true moment in time." With that said, she left the human alone to ponder her words.

"Whatever..." Growling under her breath, Niki picked up the scroll and rolled it up properly to put it away. "Stupid wolf and cryptic stories. What the hell is wrong with this place that just makes everyone want to confuse me all the time."

Still grumbling under her breath, she moved to find the place Sonya had pulled the scroll from, her eyes wandering from self to shelf until she found herself at the back of the library, staring at a large mural across the back wall depicting a large demonic dog soaring across the sky mid-howl.

"Oh..." Blinking in wonder, Niki stepped closer and set the scroll aside on a nearby table, her other hand reaching out to brush across the faded paint.

"My father." Sesshomaru's voice brought her out of her awe sharply, making her jump in surprise. "Oh... So... He can turn into an actual dog?"

Moving to stand beside her, Sesshomaru cut his eyes over to where she stood then stared up at the painting himself. "Full Inu have the ability to become the beast that resides within them."

"Oh, so you too then."

"Indeed."

Biting her lip lightly, Niki glanced at the scroll she just sat aside, nervous to ask, but dying to know. "That story..."

"Is of my Father and Inuyasha's mother." Sesshomaru finished for her, a sharp edge in his voice that quickly vanished. "My Mother... While tending to be... Dramatic. Loved my Father, and Inuyasha's mother. She saw the light in his eyes whenever he was around her, and knew it was for the best."

"Even after all the battles and fights he had to go through just because of the girl?"

"His happiness stemmed from being with one who accepted him for who he was, not for what he represented." Sesshomaru turned away and began walking back to the open door. "The noon meal will be ready soon, your maid will retrieve you to join us."

"Oh, alright then..." Niki murmured, eyes still on the painting in front of her, deep in thought. "See you."

Pausing in the doorway, Sesshomaru sent another look back at the woman, a gleam of curiosity in his eyes before he carefully locked it away. Turning away once more, he left her to her thoughts.

During his many years of life, he had come across people with her way of thinking only a handful of times. He had discovered with them, it would be best to plant an idea, a small thought and allow them to work through it themselves. If they truly were interested, they would search for more answers themselves, if not, they would walk away and leave what they knew at that.

It was the only way he could be certain this strange human truly cared for his father. Even as a human, it was obvious his father cared for her, and he refused to allow her to bring his mighty father down simply by rejecting him.

His father was many things, a fool was one of them. However, Sesshomaru had no desire to see him fall because of his own folly over a single human either.

It would be for the best to make her curious, at least then he knew her thoughts were on the older male. If only that for now, it would be enough.

Closing his eyes in silent frustration, Sesshomaru paused outside of his and Sonya's room. Then again, it wasn't like his mate would have let him out of this either, demanding he help her get the human to become curious about his father, to ask about him and learn without his presence to change things.

Why he let the wolf get away with so much, he did not know. Perhaps it was that way she rubbed his ears, or brushed his hair. It was hard to tell exactly when she asked him to help, but it was obvious she did so while he was distracted. _'Conniving wolves.'_ With narrowed eyes he stepped into the room and watched as she dug through one of her trunks in search of something.

However it wasn't like he didn't know what he was getting into when he mated her. It was part of what drew him to the wolf in the first place. Holding back a sigh, he set about helping her prepare for the noon meal.

If she had anything to say about it, this visit would feel much longer than it really was.

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	36. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32**

 **And here's another! Things are heating up in this chapter whoooo!**

 **As always: Any part written about Saitoshi was written by _SaitoshiTaishou,_ All I did was edit a few words here and there so it would flow better with my part of the story, a big round of applause for her please! **

**And I'm going to remind you again: If you're interested _SaitoshiTaishou_ is writing her own fanfic about Saitoshi called 'Long Forgotten' please go check it out! Sonya will be appearing in that story too, a little bit of extra I suppose.**

 **Oh! And another thing, I'm starting a little mini-series on the side, dunno when I'll be posting it (Possibly during a lull in this story when I get another one of my writer's blocks) but it's going to be called 'The Mini Adventures of Sesshomaru and Sonya'. It's purely crack, absolutely nothing to do with the main story or anything linked to it, I started writing little bits and pieces for it a few weeks ago and decided to just go ahead and type up a few chapters to see where it went. Anyway, like I said, I'll possibly post it whenever I take too long to type up another chapter to this, so keep an eye out!**

 **By the way: only one review? Come on people you can do better than that, two or more reviews before I post the next chapter. And just as a bit of an incentive... A certain favorite is making a reappearance. REVIEWS PEOPLE!**

 **Umm I think that's it for now, I'm sure I'll remember something else by the time I post this, but I'll save it for the next chapter.**

 **Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

Saitoshi looked upon the village in anticipation from a hill side. "I will get him to notice me and weep for forgiveness. I'll take this tiny village from him in the most spectacular way. Won't Father be so proud." Chuckling in a sinister way that could send chills down a daiyokai's spine, she stood up and made her way towards the village only to stop once she realized a dilemma. "Should I stay in this form, or should I transform? Hmm... BIGGER THE BETTER! Even though it would be a waste it would stand out more and cause more attention. Hope you enjoy this, Father. It's all for you. Hehe!"

Saitoshi stopped walking and then flared her aura broadly. The ice-blue translucent color solidified and increased in size dramatically. When the smoke-like energy dissipated an enormous silverish-blue dragon roughly close to the size of Ryokotsuei emerged. Satisfied with the transformation, she resumed her journey back towards the helpless village. "Won't they all be surprised."

When she reached the town, she immediately began growling at the villagers, successfully scaring them. Having never killed or hurt people without reason, she just settled on looking the part of a massive demon trying to kill everyone to get her father's attention. He had a thing for saving these humans. Whipping her tail, Saitoshi destroyed a couple of huts once sure no one was inside. Turning around she blew on the water in the stream running beside the village, causing the water to freeze. In a mad panic, the villagers raced away, screaming in fear. "Someone is bound to get Father at this rate." Continuing on her work, she destroyed several more empty huts, as well as a few produce stands for good measure. Something to keep her busy until her father arrived.

* * *

The first pulse of her aura had Touga standing in the entry way of his shiro, demanding the guards to open the courtyard gates so the villagers could come in.

Narrowing his eyes, he watched as a heavy stream of frightened people ran into the courtyard, all of them claiming a dragon had invaded the village and was destroying it. Sending a silent thanks to whatever kami listened, he was glad he had sent Niki away just earlier that day, he knew for a fact she would be heartbroken to find out many of the people she cared for now had no home or possessions for the winter.

Biting back a growl, he made his way through the masses, sure the villagers all were in the courtyard, he ordered the guards to close the gates behind him and tend to the villagers there while he took care of the problem.

With a firm line to his lips, Touga stormed towards the center of the village where he could clearly see and hear the dragon wrecking havoc on the homes around it.

How he despised dragons, aside from a very rare few, he could barely stand the scent let alone sight of one. Closing his eyes, Touga brushed off a small pang tugging at his soul and stepped past the rubble of yet another ruined hut to face the dragon in front of him, familiarity once more tugging at him, he growled deep, demanding the demon's attention.

"What reason do you have here?"

Saitoshi grinned as well as a enormous dragon could. She had finally got her father's attention and it pleased her greatly. "I have come to claim your life, Father." The realization that he probably wouldn't recognize her in this form caused her to transform back into humanoid appearance moments later.

As the blue flame like haze began to dissipate, she emerged in her humanoid form. Walking closer to her father she smiled sweetly. "Now that I think about it, I want you to pay and claiming your life will not be enough. Maybe... your human pet could be useful to me." Clearly referencing to Niki with a careless wave of her hand. "You know, the one you sent away. What would happen if she... had an accident?"

Saitoshi wanted him to react, to become angry and lash out. During her visits, she had silenced her aura when she watched her father and his interaction with said human woman. It didn't take long for her to notice that he had a fondness for her and possibly wanted to mate with the woman. This will work out in her favor perfectly, if he reacted the way she expected him to.

Grinding his teeth slightly, Touga bit back the harsh retort he longed to fling at the woman in front of him. His own daughter? She dared to threaten the woman he desired so deeply? It was apparent she had no dealings with a powerful demon such as himself and their chosen mates, even before the mark is given they become nearly feral to protect them.

Narrowing his eyes on her, Touga advanced a few steps forward until they were mere inches away. "You will not go near her, you will not touch her." The underlying threat clearly hanging in the air between them: _'Or I will spill your blood myself.'_.

Stepping back once more, he rested a hand on the hilt of his improvised sword, he had yet to hear back from Totosai about his request for a new one being both of his sons now held his old swords. "Leave now. I have no desire to fight you this day."

With that said, he turned to leave and made his way back to his shiro, the sound of wings alerting him his wayward daughter had left. Reaching the gates, he motioned for the guards to open up and let him back into the courtyard where he could hear the sounds of scared villagers still.

"The demon is gone, those of you without a home will be given rooms here while they are rebuilt, anyone requiring rations go to the kitchens." His strong voice silenced the babble, easily heard in the fading afternoon. Already he had plans for builders to be commissioned to rebuild the destroyed huts starting the next day.

 _'Maybe... Your human pet could be useful to me.'_

Saitoshi's words resurfaced in the forefront of his mind, causing Touga to grit his teeth again. If she so much as dared to hurt her! His hand clenched tightly into a fist, claws biting into the flesh of his palm deep. No, she was safe, Sesshomaru knew better than to let anything hurt her while he wasn't around.

Shaking off the worry he held for Niki, Touga called for several of the guards standing nearby, ordering them to station themselves around the town for extra protection, more for the villager's peace of mind than anything. For now, he would have to believe she would be alright, if he didn't, he couldn't do anything for the village.

* * *

Ducking behind one of the garden bushes, Niki clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to keep quiet. They were only feet away, she could hear the snow crunching under their boots as they moved closer with each step.

 _'Stupid! Superior sense of smell! Of course they found you...'_ Reaching out, Niki grabbed a hold of the only thing she had to defend herself with and waited. breath held, hands clutching her defensive item of choice while listening to her pursuer's hushed voices.

"Over there?"

"No, I can smell she's close..."

Gritting her teeth, Niki crouched lower behind the bush, waiting for the first face of her attackers to show themselves.

The second she spotted the tip of a nose, she let out a war cry and launched the snowball in her hand, smacking Sonya in the face with it before darting away to hide behind a tree when Rin retaliated with her own snowball.

 _"Cheater!_ You got Sonya to help you!" She whined, stooping over and packing another snowball in her cold hands.

"All's fair in love and war!" Sonya called out, a wide grin on her face as she and Rin stalked their target, advancing from both sides of the tree so she couldn't escape this time.

"Don't get me started on 'love and war' you jerk." Niki muttered, eyes shifting from side to side as the both of them appeared on either side of her with identical evil grins.

"Be fair, she is only eight." With a shrug, Sonya smashed the snowball in her hands on Niki's head then ducked away when the woman swung at her in retaliation.

"Still, your nose shouldn't count!" The wet splat of Rin's snowball seeping into the back of her woolen cloak chilled her skin quickly, earning a shiver from her. "You know, I love the snow and all, but I don't like it when it's soaking my clothes."

"Yeah, I think it's about time to head inside." Sonya agreed, eyes on Rin's red cheeks and nose as she ushered the two humans inside. "Rin, go change quickly, meet us in the hot springs, alright?"

"Okay!" The little girl grinned brightly then darted off while Sonya lead Niki back to her room. "You know, for a human, you're pretty resilient."

"Yeah, well... Your face." Niki shivered again, completely forgetting the idea of searching for a proper comeback as she slid her door open, revealing a very surprised Shibori. "Bath."

"I would hope so, Lady. You're soaked through!" Tutting lightly, the maid turned to gather clean clothes from one of Niki's trunks then stood to follow the two women towards the hot springs, stopping only so Sonya could duck into her own room and grab her things as well.

Simply stepping into the steamy room had Niki nearly melting into a puddle on the floor. The hot air trapped inside swirling around her with hints of honey that had most likely been poured into the bath before they arrived.

"Come on, out of those before you do get sick." Shibori's no-nonsense voice leaving no room for argument as she firmly began undressing Niki much to Sonya's amusement. "Shibori, I could use twenty of you around here. With that kind of attitude I'm sure this whole place would shape up in just one day."

The maid flushed lightly and ducked her head in a bout of shyness, eyes rooted to the wet cloak she held in her hands. "I am sure you don't mean that, Lady Sonya."

The wolf rolled her eyes and sunk into the water beside Niki, keen eyes watching Rin as she splashed away happily on the other side of the spring. "No, I really do mean it. Half of the people around here lay down so you can walk on them, the other half are too stuck-up to know what a simple thank you is." A small huff escaped her while Niki patted her shoulder sympathetically.

"It is high praise then." Shibori bowed deeply, still embarrassed the Lady of the West even bothered to acknowledge her despite Niki's constant reassurances she wasn't as stuck up as most people seemed to think she should be.

"Jeesh, I see what you mean." Sonya muttered to Niki who was sending sympathetic looks over at her maid who seemed about to self-combust under the sheer weight of Sonya saying she was good at her job. "Shibori, come on, you're not my maid here, you're my friend while we're staying at the west, come join us."

"My Lady, I cannot!" The maid stiffened her spine so quickly, Niki was sure she popped a vertebra or two with the action. "Oh stop it, you and I are closer than almost anyone around here, just join us already, or I'll just have Rin splash you until you do."

Shibori sent a nervous glance over at the child who was now sneaking over to the side of the spring she was standing on, a glint in her eyes she didn't like one bit. "But-"

"No butts until your butt is in here. Now come on, the water feels great!" Niki smiled wide as she relaxed against the heated rocks behind her, one eye cracked open just enough to see her Maid sigh lightly and reluctantly began to remove her clothes. "This isn't proper for a maid to bathe with her Lady and the Lady of the West."

"What lady? There's ladies in here? Where?" Sonya looked around curiously, earning a snicker from Niki and a weak smile from Shibori as she slid into the water across from them. "Very well, I can see you two are indeed much alike."

"Yeah, we could be twins and no one would know better." Sonya slung an arm around Niki's shoulders, her head knocking against the human's lightly in a playful manner.

"If I had two tails myself I could probably even fool that man of yours." Niki muttered, earning a low growl from Sonya for it. "Don't even think about it, I worked hard getting him."

"Not from what Kagome told me, she said he chased you until you finally just gave up."

"Did not! I was playing coy!"

"Pfft, _you,_ coy? Give me a break."

"I'll give you a break in the leg!"

Soon the argument spawned into an all-out splash fight between the two of them, thoroughly soaking the other bathers and the floors as well until Shibori cleared her throat pointedly and made the two stop and bow their heads slightly in apology.

"Sorry..."

 _'My, they even speak like twins.'_ Shibori shook her head with a small smile on her face, relaxing for the first time since Sonya had given her that compliment. In truth, she viewed her Lady more as a younger sister than her mistress, and the way her friend treated her, she began to feel the same towards the wolf as well. They were cheerful, bright and very friendly towards everyone they met, until said person gave them a reason to dislike them.

Without any more arguments or splash wars, they finished their baths cheerfully, talking away about everything they could think about, Shibori and Rin adding their own bits from time to time. Before long, a servant appeared in the doorway to alert them of the evening meal being served shortly, sending the bathers into a slight panic to get ready before it was time.

After Niki slipped on the wet floor, Rin nearly tipping over the rack of dry Kimono and Sonya almost sliding straight into the wall beside the door, they decided it was best to tell someone about the water before anyone else tried to take a bath themselves.

That of course started Sonya laughing at the image of Sesshomaru slipping and falling on his hind end, the mere thought of the Inu doing anything _remotely_ ungraceful sending her into a frenzy of giggles the entire walk back to their rooms.

Of course it might have helped if she told her friends just what she was laughing about, because during dinner she'd start snickering again and would get several confused and worried glances sent her direction the rest of the night.

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	37. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33**

 **Well well well, lookie here I found another chapter to post. :3 told you it would be worth the extra reviews too, now once you finish reading this, I'm going to expect some serious surprise from you lot! I mean it, I want angry, happy whatever reviews for my awesome twist on things, come on I want them!**

 _ **Not much else to say other than two reviews or more for the next chapter!**_

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

 **-Day 3-**

"Do I want to _what?"_ Niki looked over at Sonya, chopsticks still hovering in the air. The wolf sighed and rolled her eyes skyward before repeating herself slowly this time. "I asked if you wanted to go to town with me? There's some things I need to get for Rin's birthday."

Niki blinked her eyes, the lack of caffeine to wake her up in the mornings was making it difficult to comprehend what anyone said to her before noon. "Uh... I guess?"

"Good, you can help carry the stuff back then!" Sonya clapped her hands together excitedly and turned to Sesshomaru beside her. "Want to come with us?"

"There are matters I need to discuss with the new captain of my guard." The Inu leaned over to brush his nose against her mating mark then stood. "I'm sure that's just an excuse so you don't have to go with us." Sonya grumbled, earning the slightest flash of a smile from Sesshomaru. "I will send along two guards to carry whatever you buy."

"Hmph, alright alright, I won't make you come with us. What do you want me to get Rin for you then?"

Niki's eyebrow rose steadily higher the longer the two in front of her talked. Despite knowing they were mated and were living together, seeing them like this made it painfully obvious they were actually... Together. Somewhere in the back of her mind, for some reason or another, she only saw the two of them as friends, never really thought of them as really married in demon terms.

But the easy conversation between the two of them was way too much like anything a married couple might have for her not to see anymore. Before she could stop it, a slight pang of jealousy shot through her quickly only to be squashed thoroughly a second later. _'Oh knock it off. You know full well there's no point to that...'_

Looking down at her food, Niki picked up another bite and popped it in her mouth, half paying attention to the conversation going on between the two in front of her while she finished her breakfast.

"Niki."

Looking over at Sonya, she swallowed what was in her mouth and quirked an eyebrow in question. "I'm going to be heading out once Sesshomaru picks a couple guys to go with us."

"Alright..."

"So... Hurry up?" Sonya nodded at Niki's barely touched breakfast with an amused look. "You really aren't a morning person."

"No, and I highly doubt I ever will be." Niki grumbled and picked up a bowl of rice, shoveling it in her mouth with vengeance. "Well, maybe Kagome'll have some of that coffee when she comes to visit tomorrow."

Niki nearly choked on her food at the mention of the miko showing up tomorrow, a fit of coughing cutting off anything she wanted to say. A clawed hand held out a cup of water which she clung to desperately and downed it's contents. "Ka-" Stopping to clear her throat again, Niki grimaced at the sore feeling before continuing. "Kagome's going to be _here?"_

"Yeah, she and Sango said they have something to tell us, so we're going to have Rin's birthday party tomorrow while they're here. I guess their... Mates? Husbands? Are coming with them so we'll just make a party of it." Sonya lifted a shoulder in a shrug as she settled back in her seat once more. "I'd send a message to them asking about it, but they're probably already heading this way, it's a good three days from Edo with Inuyasha's speed."

"So they left a couple days ago." Niki gave up on finishing her food and sipped on her tea instead. Sonya nodded quietly, her eyes slipping over to the door for a second then turning back to her friend across from her. "Rin's being distracted, but I dunno how long it'll last. Sesshomaru better hurry up."

Niki chuckled and refilled her teacup, one hand lifting up to cover her mouth when a yawn broke through. "Ugh, I need coffee. This is just ridiculous."

"I know how you feel." Sonya grimaced at the tea in front of her, tongue poking out between her lips in distaste. "I never really did like tea that much."

The sound of the doors sliding open brought the two of them out of their thoughts and over to the two men standing there in uniform. "My Lady, we are here to escort you and your companion to the village below." The taller one explained, both of them bowing when Sonya got to her feet with an excited clap of her hands. "About time, thought maybe he was just taking his time to piss me off."

"Apologies, My Lady, my companion is new and the Lord needed to explain several things so he could understand the protocol for guarding you."

"Ah, don't worry about it. I can take care of myself you know." Sonya grumped, arms folding over her chest as she studied the two in front of her with a critical eye. "Though, I do need to strong guys to help carry bags back once we're done."

"Of course, My Lady. Senshi is a strapping lad, able to carry twice his weight if need be." The older male clapped the younger one on the shoulder with a wide smile.

Niki's eyes widened slightly, her feet moving on their own until she came to a stop in front of the shorter guard. "Senshi?"

He jerked his head up so quickly a soft popping noise could be heard as he looked up at Niki, obvious surprise written across his face. "Lady Niki..?"

"Senshi!" Niki broke out into a wide smile, arms flinging themselves around the startled guard in a big hug, nearly giving the poor man a heart-attack with the sudden action.

"You have no idea how much I missed you!" Niki laughed, pulling back far enough to rest her hands on his arms and taking in his face for the first time in a month.

"My... My lady." With comically wide eyes, Senshi simply stared at her in shock. "Wh- What are you doing here?"

"I'm visiting Sonya, come on, don't tell me you forgot she was with Touga and me when we first showed up at the shiro." Shaking her head in mock despair, Niki sent a pout in his direction.

"Ah, of course, apologies, Lady." Senshi bowed his head slightly, barely remembering she hated it when he did that moments later when she smacked his shoulder. "Knock it off."

"Of course." Straightening back up, he caught the curious look from the older guard and took a step back. "Before coming here, I had been requested to teach Lady Sonya combat." He explained quickly to his senior's amusement. "I see. Very well then, shall we leave?" He turned his attention back to Sonya, one hand waving for her to lead the way.

"Let's go shopping then!" Sonya cheered, linking her arm with Niki's and dragging the poor woman away towards the door. There were some things she wanted to talk to her about, mainly consisting of exactly how friendly she was with that guard.

* * *

A hour later found the four of them in a bustling village full of shops and carts. Sonya, still dragging Niki behind her made her way through the busy streets towards one of the shops with an excited sparkle in her eyes.

Ducking inside, she waved at the guards following them to stay beside the door and made her way towards the back, her unrelenting grip on Niki's arm beginning to cut off circulation before she finally let her go. "Alright, explain."

Chewing on her lower lip, Niki watched the wolf begin picking through some of the bolts of cloth, examining them closely before setting them aside for another one. "He was a guard back at the shiro. We got to know each other because he was the one Touga had teach me. That's all."

"I sense a _'but'_ in there somewhere." Sonya looked over her shoulder at Niki with a raised eyebrow at her nervous expression. "Well, he left. So I haven't really seen him in a while, that's all."

"Yeah right. If he's your teacher then he's the one who gave you those arm guards, right?" Sonya picked up a yellow cloth covered with a scattering of orange butterflies.

"Well, yeah." Niki glanced at a deep blue colored cloth, silver stars stitched along the edges of it. "So what?"

"Seems pretty obvious the guy was in love with you."

Sonya's blunt statement made Niki flinch, remembering the letter and the resulting argument with Touga afterwards. "I guess so."

* * *

Mokuzai shot a glance over at Senshi, the faint conversation from the women inside clearly heard by the both of them, and judging by the faint pink beginning to grow on the younger guard's face, there seemed to be some truth to it.

"I see, so that is why you so readily agreed to join the guard here." He broke the silence between them, making Senshi jump in surprise, wide, brown eyes looking over at him then back facing forward.

"It was for the best." Senshi silently cursed the older guard for his demon blood, if he could just barely hear the girl's conversation inside, it was easy to assume the older guard could hear it as if they were standing beside them.

"For yourself, or for her I wonder?" Mokuzai shot back, green eyes sharpened when Senshi flinched ever so slightly. _'So, the wound is still fresh then.'_ Turning away, he faced the crowds once more, his grip on the handle of his sword tightening in thought. "However, it has nothing to do with me."

Silently sending a thanks to the kami, Senshi nodded his head curtly, grateful to have the conversation behind them. With Lady Niki there, it was hard enough as it was, but now he had the senior guard questioning him about it.

"Alright, we're done here. Mokuzai, carry this for me, would you?" Sonya swept out of the shop, arms loaded down with various wrapped packages which she handed off to the fox demon without another word. Turning around, she grabbed onto Niki's wrist, intent on dragging her to another shop when the fox finally spoke up. "Perhaps, My Lady, it would be best for us to separate, then we would not be here all day and night."

Sonya paused and looked back at her favorite guard in thought, catching sight of his eyes motioning at Senshi beside him and felt her lips pull up in a small smile. "I see what you mean, Senshi, take Niki and this list, we need every item there so be sure to find _every_ one of them." Sonya tossed a rolled scroll over at Senshi who barely caught it in his surprise.

Turning to Niki, she held out a small coin bag full of jingling coins. "Take this, Senshi will help telling how much everything is. Be careful and make sure it doesn't get pinched alright? I didn't even tell Sesshomaru how much I was taking so I'd like to be able to bring some of it back before he notices half of the money we had in our room is gone."

With that said, she turned around and disappeared into the crowd with Mokuzai. Niki blinked and glanced over at Senshi with a bewildered look on her face. "Do you feel like you were just run over by something large and unstoppable too?"

"Unbelievable, that woman is just like you." Senshi shook his head and gestured for Niki to follow him towards one of the nearby shops. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Niki growled at him, earning a small smile from the guard as he lead her inside, the scent of spices and various other foods surrounding them.

"It would mean you are just as unstoppable as she is." Niki growled at him again, making the guard chuckle as he checked the list once more and moved towards one of the shelves holding powdered spices. "We will need a pound of ginger." He murmured, aware of the shop owner watching them closely.

"Oh, what one is ginger?" Niki muttered back, eyes scanning the small buckets of spice in front of her nervously. Each one was labled perfectly, however she barely understood the alphabet with only a couple lessons under her belt with the scribe.

"The one on the right of you. It looks like red clay." Nodding her head slightly, Niki looked over at the shop owner and waved him over. "A pound of the ginger please." She smiled, pointing at the bucket Senshi mentioned, earning an eager nod from the owner.

"That will be two Koban." The shop owner held out the bag, a small gleam in his eyes as he watched Niki dig around in the purse Sonya gave her. "Hold on, excuse me, I believe that price to be too much." Senshi narrowed his eyes on the owner who shot him a dark look.

"It says clearly one Koban for a pound, you are asking twice the amount for it." He added sharply, making Niki look up with narrowed eyes. "Is that so? Then maybe we should just go to another shop and let the greedy creep try to cheat someone else." She tied the purse shut again, already stuffing it back into the pocket of her hakima when the owner began bowing. "Apologies! My Lady, please forgive an old man for his foolishness!"

Sending a look at Senshi, Niki saw the slight nod he gave her as she fished out one of the oval coins from the purse she held. "Here, don't try to cheat anyone again. It's pointless and you'll end up doing it to the wrong person. We won't hurt you because of it, but someone else might." The owner took the Koban with a grateful look in her direction, his head bowing repeatedly as they left the shop. "Of course, Lady. Of course!"

"Jeez, what the heck is wrong with people?" Snorting in a very unladylike fashion, Niki weighed the bag in her hand idly while they made their way through the crowds. "He seemed to notice you couldn't read." Senshi murmured under his breath, making Niki grimace. "I know, I know. I've had someone teaching me, but I only got about two lessons in before Touga said I could come visit Sonya."

"Perhaps I can teach you while you are here." Nearly kicking himself for the forward offer, Senshi fell silent quickly, already cursing mentally. "You would? That would be awesome!" Niki beamed at the guard, causing him to duck his head shyly. "Of course, My Lady. It would be an honor to teach you."

With a wide grin still pulling at her lips, Niki locked an arm with his, either not caring or knowing about the action as she pulled him over to a small food stand she could smell something delicious coming from. "Come on, I'm starving, Senshi, you want anything to eat?"

"Ah, it would not be-"

"Two orders please." Niki cut him off, already speaking to the stand owner as he scooped up two bowls of the sweet stuff and handed them over for two Koban coins.

"Let's sit down and eat, Sonya wore me out just walking here." Turning around, she offered one of the bowls to Senshi with a grin. The guard, unable to turn down the hopeful smile on her face, sighed softly and took the offered treat then lead her over to a small bench set to the side.

"You know, it smells and looks good. But what the heck is this stuff anyway?" Looking over at Niki, Senshi quirked an eyebrow at her curious expression while she poked at the food in her bowl. "It is called Oshiruko." Senshi shook his head as she tipped her own to the side curiously. "It is made with sweet bean soup and rice flower dumplings. A wonderful choice for this weather, even if you did not know what it was you were paying for."

Sticking her tongue out at him, Niki lifted the bowl to her lips and took a tentative sip. "Oh! That's awesome, how come Kayaku never makes this at the shiro?" Scowling at the bowl in her hands as if she expected it to come up with an explanation, she ignored Senshi's chuckle.

"I suspect it is because he does not know what either you or the headman like to eat. Perhaps you should tell him when you return." Smiling at her, he lifted his bowl to his lips and sipped at the sweet soup with a satisfied look in his eyes. "I must confess, My Lady." Setting the bowl aside, he stared at the people passing in front of them while he spoke. "I did not expect to see you after I had left."

Niki swirled the bowl in her hands, watching the little dumplings swim in the soup idly. "Oh."

"I will confess again, however, I am delighted to see you once more, however wrong it may be for me to be so happy with you by my side." He added, still refusing to look over at her while he continued speaking. "Your present-"

"I got it... And the letter." Niki cut in, finally getting him to look over at her. Now it was her turn to avoid his gaze, nervous fingers tracing the edge of the bowl. "I mean, I don't blame you for running off, Touga is a jerk so I'm not mad at you."

"It is wrong, I should have never-"

"He told me I could choose whoever I wanted, Senshi."

Senshi paused in what he was saying, eyes widening slightly at what Niki had said. Not fully accepting what she said, he forced out a chuckle and finished off his treat. "A dark joke, My Lady. To give this poor guard such hope."

"I'm not joking. He told me before I left that if I wanted someone else, he wouldn't stop me." This time Senshi looked at her, careful eyes scrutinizing her face before coming to the conclusion she was, indeed, telling the truth.

"I see, there are many men that would gladly take you as their wife, despite your age, you are beautiful and intelligent." He murmured, turning away again, completely missing the irritated scowl forming on her lips. "I know you do not care for riches, so I am certain it would not matter how much money they have."

"You idiot." Niki slapped the bowl she had into his hands, splashing the uniform he wore with the soup still inside and stood up. "Shut up and lets go shop. God you're impossible! Does no one around here understand subtle hints?" Throwing her arms up in the air, she stomped off, Senshi scrambling to follow her through the crowds before she got lost.

Grabbing onto her elbow, he stopped her marching and turned Niki around to face him with a scowl of his own. "Do not leave without me! Do you realize how dangerous it is even in the market?"

"What's it to you? Maybe I'll just go find myself a nice suitable male and have him marry me so you don't have to worry about it anymore!" Niki snapped, jabbing a finger in his chest with each word.

"Will you be quiet, woman!" Senshi growled, efficiently shutting Niki up, eyes wide as she stare at him in surprise. "I am trying to tell you I do care!"

"You called me woman."

This time it was Senshi's eyes to widen, more in embarrassment than anything as he dropped her elbow and took a step back, head already lowering in apology. "My Lady-"

"About damn time you got a little spine. I mean, I don't really care about the whole using the word woman as a degrading term, but seriously, how many months of you knowing me before you finally dropped the whole 'I'm your guard' act?" Niki laughed, making Senshi look up at her in confusion. "Lady?"

"Don't do it, no. You dropped it once already, Niki. My name is Niki. If you call me Lady again I'll slap you." She warned, a threatening finger poking him in the nose. "Come on, say it with me now: Niki."

"N.. Niki." Senshi twisted his lips to the side, trying to understand her sudden change in attitude.

"There! Much better, now then, Senshi. Shopping, what's next on the list?" Linking her arm with his again, she tugged on the scroll he had tucked into his haori, already unrolling it when he finally realized what she was doing.

Deciding it was impossible to really understand her, he sighed and traced the next item with a finger. "Paper lanterns. This way." Taking the scroll back from Niki, he lead her towards the other side of the market where he could see the stall selling paper lanterns clearly. For now he would help her finish shopping, later when alone, he would have time to work through his scattered thoughts and figure out just what he was really thinking about.

* * *

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	38. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34**

 **Sorry it's so late, I had two different directions I could have gone with this particular chapter and decided on this one for now. And on top of all that, I've been cleaning my butt off the past day or so for no particular reason other than to avoid my grandmother, she was being her usual domineering self, ugh.**

 **Anyway, as of today, I've joined a freelance writer website to hopefully make some sort of cash by writing, so if I do end up getting a offer that I accept, I'll leave an author's note explaining I won't be able to post a new chapter until I'm finished with my job. Unfortunately, I won't be able to tell you exactly whatever it is I'm writing or anything because many of them will probably be ghost writing jobs, but I'll let you know what my 'employer' thinks about my work!**

 **Ummm other than that I don't really have much for now, onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

 _ **-Day 3 part two-**_

With the sun already directly above, Senshi and Niki took another break, this time to enjoy some Dango as they sat surrounded by several wrapped items. "What else do we gotta get?" Niki asked around a mouthful of Dango and leaning over to look at the list Sinshi held out in front of him.

"Hmm..." He hummed, his stick held in front of his mouth, eyes scanning the paper deep in thought. "I believe all that is left is for you to pay for a new kimono."

"Hwha?" Spluttering with her mouthful, Niki blinked at the guard in utter surprise. "Hat ou man I _eed_ ew kmomo?"

"Swallow." Holding out the plate for her empty stick, Sinshi waited patiently for her to finish chewing and swallowing so she could speak clearly. "I will assume you wished to know why you need a new kimono?"

"Well, yeah? Thanks to Touga and the seamstress I have enough clothes for every woman in the entire country." Niki scowled down at the list in his hands, arms folding across her chest. "I don't want another kimono, I'll gag if I see another kimono even."

Chuckling slightly, Senshi finished his meal and stood up, arms already loaded with several packages. "It is Lady Sonya's list and she did demand we retrieve everything on it."

"Yeah, well Sonya can kiss my a-"

Senshi cleared his throat, cutting her off before she finished that statement and gestured with his head. "Come, I am sure you remember where the cloth shop is?"

"Yeah yeah..." Mumbling under her breath, Niki followed him back towards the first store they had gone to after arriving in the village and ducked inside. "I have no idea what to get."

"I am sure whatever you choose will be wonderful."

Shooting a look over at the guard, Niki stuck her tongue out at him and looked around at the cloth idly until a familiar blue caught her eye. It was the same one she had seen earlier with the silver stars stitched on the sides. "Did you find something you like, Lady?" Looking up at the shop owner, Niki smiled at the older woman shyly. "I think I like this one."

"A well choice, the blue will certainly allow your eyes to glow and your hair will stand out as well." The shop owner dipped her head in a bow and gathered the cloth in her arms. "Would the Lady perhaps like to choose a cloth for your obi?"

"Oh! Um... I suppose a silver color, something that matches the stars." Niki shifted nervously, not liking the attention she was being given. "Of course, it will be ready within two days." Bowing again, the owner disappeared into the back of the shop, leaving Niki and Senshi to exit alone.

"Alright, we're done then right? Nothing else to do? Nothing else to buy?" Niki sighed and leaned against the wall behind her, a hand rubbing at her eyes wearily. "Please tell me we're done."

Senshi set the packages down and stood beside her with a low chuckle. "Yes, I believe we are done."

"Good, because I'm about ready to drop." Closing her eyes, Niki let out another sigh and slid down the wall behind her, sitting on the ground with her head bent down.

"Niki!" Sonya's voice cut through the crowd, making the both of them look up at the wolf as she walked over with a wide grin on her face, Mokuzai walking behind her, arms full of various packages. "Maybe we should have taken a cart or something, huh?" She laughed wryly, standing in front of Niki and Senshi surrounded with packages of their own.

"You think?" Niki rolled her eyes and got up, hands dusting off her pants as she took a look at their pile and over at Mokuzai who could barely see over what he was holding. "Maybe we should send someone to tell Sesshomaru we need one."

"Nah, we can manage, there's four of us, isn't there? Come on, pick some up." Turning around, she gestured for the older guard to give her half of what he was holding and ignoring his protests when she took them. "Oh hush, there's no point in making you carry everything when I can help." Rolling her eyes, she looked over at Niki and Senshi. "Everyone ready? Let's go!"

* * *

Flopping on her back, Niki stared up at the sky with a deep sigh of relief. After countless times of dropping packages, they finally made it back and put everything away, letting her finally get the chance to use the hot spring and relax.

Rubbing at her covered head, Niki sat up and looked around at the melting snow with a frown. It was barely halfway through December yet it was already starting to melt? A strong wind blew through the courtyard, making her shiver despite the warm clothes she wore. Usually when the snow melted before it was time to, a large snowstorm was bound to hit soon.

Pulling the cap from her head, Niki let out a loud huff of air and rubbed at her damp hair. As soon as they got back, Senshi managed to slip away before she could catch him. It wasn't hard to figure out he was avoiding her after that, anywhere she went, it seemed he was going in the opposite direction she was and in a hurry at that.

Huffing out in frustration, she jammed the cap back on top of her head and got to her feet. "Well fine, if he wants to avoid me oh well." With a nod to no one, she made her way back inside and headed back towards her room, intent on finding something to do until the evening meal was ready.

"Niki." Stopping mid-stride, she turned around and blinked up at Senshi in surprise. _'Speak of the devil...'_ He smiled wryly at her surprised expression and held out a hand. "Come with me."

"Uh... What?" Still shell-shocked at the fact he was there and talking to her at that, Niki couldn't quite understand just what he was wanting.

"I wish to show you something, please, come with me." He explained clearly, a slight smile pulling at his lips when understanding finally shone in her eyes. "Let me guess, you want to go back to town because Sonya forgot something."

"Hardly." He chuckled and wrapped his hand around hers when she finally placed it in his. "Come, I am sure you will appreciate it more than any." Raising an eyebrow at his words, Niki shrugged it off and let him lead her out of the shiro _-palace-_ and towards the stables.

Cautioning her to wait outside, he disappeared into the stable, reappearing moments later leading a large, dappled stallion. "This is Yuki. A gift from my mother when I was a mere child." He introduced them, one hand patting the horse on it's muzzle gently.

"Yuki, huh? That's a good name." Niki smiled and moved forward hesitantly, wanting to pet the horse too, but not exactly sure the animal would appreciate a complete stranger touching it either.

"Yuki." Senshi gently pushed the horse's muzzle away from him and towards her with a light smile. "Greetings are in order." At his urging the horse dipped his head forward and knelt on one knee then straightened back up again to Niki's astonishment. "Did you teach him that?"

Yuki nuzzled against her cheek playfully, huffing lightly to ruffle her hair. Ducking her head down, Niki laughed and reached up to pat his neck. "Alright alright, it's good to meet you too, Yuki."

Senshi watched Niki and Yuki interact with another small smile. "Now you have been introduced." Without warning, he lifted Niki up onto the saddle then jumped up behind her, hands gripping the reigns, a low laugh escaping him at her small squeak of surprise.

"Yuki!" With a snap of the reigns, he urged the horse to carry them out of the gates and into the grassland that surrounded the shiro. "So... Um..." Niki fidgeted nervously in front of him, refusing to look up. "Where exactly are we going?"

"A place I enjoy going to relax." He answered cryptically, choosing to keep it a surprise for her. Niki huffed and folded her arms over her chest to his amusement. "Calm, my Lady."

"Don't call me Lady. You know I hate that."

Twisting his lips to the side, Senshi stayed silent. It was still difficult to call her just by name, to him, she was still his Lady of the Shiro. Despite her not accepting the new Headman's advances and given the choice of whoever she wanted, he would always view her as his Lady.

Adjusting his hold on the reigns, he urged Yuki to go faster, eager to reach the trees in the distance before the hour grew too late. It wouldn't do for him to only turn around halfway there just so she would arrive back at the shiro in time for the evening meal.

Clicking his tongue, he kicked the horse's sides lightly, urging it to begin sprinting. Of all the people, he knew Niki would appreciate what he had to show her. And he wanted to see her face when she saw.

Chancing a peek up at him, Niki bit her lip at the serious expression on his face. To be honest, she did like the guy, it was just a vague feeling though, built up through several days of training with him.

She never really got a chance to get to know him as a person other than when they were training, and that was always his rough side rather than the one she's gotten to see over the course of just today.

He could be carefree and cheerful when he wanted to. Caring and funny on top of it. And now she was looking at him, it was pretty easy to admit he was good-looking too. A strong jaw gave away to prominent cheekbones and soft brown eyes. A straight nose, while a bit longer than what most people would consider to be a decent size, it still held a strong look to it.

All in all, the guy was a hunk, she did see him without a shirt on a couple of occasions, built muscles without being overly obvious about it toned what she suspected to be his whole body. If he was in her day and age, it wouldn't be hard to say he'd be adored anyhow.

Turning around to face the front again, she caught sight of trees in the distance. "Is that where we're going?"

"Indeed, hold on." With another light flick of his wrists, he spurred Yuki to break out into a canter, sending the wind whipping past them at near-painful speeds.

"Woah!" Niki gripped onto the edge of the saddle, knuckles turning white as she was nearly shoved back against Senshi behind her from the force of the sudden sprint. "What's the rush?"

"Do you wish to arrive before dark?"

"Well... Yeah."

"Then we must hurry." With a wide smile breaking across his face, he urged the horse to move faster, pushing the poor animal past it's usual limits. He would brush and rub Yuki down later when they returned to the shiro. For now, he wanted to spend some time with with her alone without anyone to spy on them like the Lady Sonya had been earlier.

It was mostly the reason why he had been avoiding her earlier after they returned from the village. He really had no desire to be questioned about his relationship with her by both Lady Sonya and the master-of-arms.

Holding back a sigh, he slowed the horse down once they reached the shade of the trees. This was his chance, rather than through a letter as before, he could freely speak with out worrying someone else overheard and began spreading it throughout the shiro.

Before long, they reached the small clearing he frequented and dismounted. Niki, who he urged to close her eyes once they reached the trees, sat there with a small frown on her face when he lifted her up off of the saddle. Grinning despite himself, he walked to the far side of the small clearing and sat her down. "Now you may open your eyes."

"Oh _may_ I?" Niki rolled her eyes from behind closed lids sarcastically and slowly opened them, surprise overtaking the slight irritation she had at him when she finally saw the sight in front of her.

A small clearing filled with blue and yellow flowers spread out in front of her. The faint sound of trickling water came from the left of where she sat, but she couldn't see the stream at all through the thick foliage of the surrounding woods. "Oh wow, Senshi. This is amazing, I didn't exactly peg you to be the... Erm, flower-loving type."

Rubbing his head nervously, Senshi chuckled lightly and glanced around the clearing as well. "It is peaceful." As though the simple answer would be good enough to explain how much he really liked it there.

"However this is not everything I wished to show you, come with me." He added, sending a smile her way along with an outstretched hand. Raising an eyebrow, Niki reached up and put her hand in his, letting the guard pull her to her feet and lead her through the trees in the direction of the water she heard earlier.

"You will need to be patient, they may be frightened at first." He said suddenly, making her furrow her eyebrows in confusion. _'They?'_

Coming to a stop beside a narrow stream, he let go of her hand and knelt beside what looked like a small burrow nestled at the base of a tree. Cautioning her to stay quiet, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small slice of bread and broke it apart, spreading several small pieces across the ground before backing up to stand beside her. "Now watch."

At his whisper, Niki turned her curious attention to the entrance of the burrow, eyes blinking in surprise when she caught sight of a small fox nose poking out of it, twitching slightly as it took in the scent of bread.

A small yip followed by two other ones was the only warning before three fox kits tumbled out of the burrow, excited as they each took a piece of the bread. Kneeling down, Senshi held out his hand to the closest one, soft, soothing sounds coming from him as it approached his hand and sniffed tentatively.

It wasn't long before the other two wandered over to sniff at his hand themselves. With another small yip, they pounced on him, tails swishing behind them as they greeted him in their own special way. Laughing to himself, Senshi tried to stop their constant wiggling and attempts to bite his ears and turned to Niki.

"I found them a week ago, their mother dead and father nowhere to be seen." He explained to her questioning look when he saw it. Glancing down at the fox pawing at his chest, he rubbed it's head with a small smile. "They would have died alone."

Kneeling down, Niki smiled and shook her head. Yet another side to him she didn't know about until now. He almost looked like a little boy playing with his pets with the way he let the kits roam all over him. In fact... Tipping her head to the side, she took a closer look at him, taking note of the fact he had a small spattering of freckles across his nose and the slight boyish roundness to his eyes. "Senshi, how old are you?"

Said guard looked up, surprised at the question and raised an eyebrow. "I will be turning twenty summers this year."

 _'Holy cow, the guy is younger than I am! How didn't I see that, he's nineteen for pete's sake!'_

Biting down on her lip, she folded her legs so she could sit comfortably, eyes moving down to the smallest kit as it wandered in her direction curiously. Allowing a small smile pull at her lips, she held out a hand and let it sniff her fingers.

 _'I mean, it's not like I haven't dated someone younger than me before. I never really cared about age as long as they were a interesting person. Not like I dated anyone in grade school, ugh I'm not that creepy.'_ Frowning at her thoughts, she lifted her hand up and hesitantly scratched the fox under it's chin, a gratifying sort of rumble coming from it as the kit moved closer to her.

"I fail to see why your question has any relevance." Senshi prompted, waiting to know exactly why she was curious about his age when she never seemed to before. Niki looked up at him and smiled unconvincingly. "I was just wondering, all this time we knew each other, we didn't really talk all that much."

"I see." Turning back to the kit in front of him, Senshi ran his hand along it's back gently, deep in thought himself as the final kit pounced on his back playfully. "Does my age... Displease you somehow?"

"What? No! You just looked older than you are, that's all." Biting her lip, she focused on the kit now curling up on her lap, hand moving to scratch it's head gently instead.

Watching her silently for a moment, Senshi gently moved the kits from him and sat down beside Niki, eyes moving to the kit on her lap as well, watching it sleep comfortably. Searching for a change of subject, Niki cast about for something, anything else to talk about right then and there.

"Um... How come there's flowers and bushes blooming in December?" She finally asked, finding absolutely nothing else to talk about at that moment and mentally kicking herself for the weak conversation.

"I am unsure of what this December is, but I have found this glade holds magic beyond that of nature. It will stay in bloom until it fades away." Senshi's gaze dropped over to the two kits wrestling in front of them, deep in thought. "I suspect one of their parents may have held demon blood within them before passing, it would explain why this clearing alone blooms for so long."

"Hmm..." Humming in agreement, Niki rested her hand on the fox's back while she watched it sleep with a small smile on her face. "They don't seem dangerous. Maybe someone would take care of them while you can't."

"Perhaps..." Senshi glanced over at her from the corner of his eye then back over to the kits, a nervous tick in his jaw. "Perhaps you might."

"Me? I don't know anything about foxes!" Looking up at him quickly, Niki shook her head. "Last thing I need is a sick fox because I did something or gave it something I shouldn't have."

"They eat both meat and plants. They are old enough to hunt smaller animals such as mice for now. As they grow older, they will hunt rabbits or squirrels." Senshi explained softly, his eyes still on the two foxes in front of them while he spoke. "All they would need from you, is companionship..."

Trailing off, he finally looked down at her, nervous more than ever as he finally came to the subject he wanted to speak with her about. Reaching out, he gently cupped her cheek, his fingers easily overlapping her jaw and resting beside her eye. "Much like myself."

Blinking at the sudden turn of conversation, Niki felt her thoughts screech to a grinding halt. "Uh... What?"

"My Lady... Niki, allow this Senshi to court you formally." He finally managed to get it out, the one sentence he had been wanting to say for nearly the entire day. "Allow me to treat you like the Lady you _deserve_ to be."

After the rather flowery speech, all of the things Niki could say about how it was sappy and why the hell was he being so weird about it all. The only thing that she could even think at that moment was sadly lacking in her usual eloquence.

 _'What?!'_

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	39. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35**

 **(So... Yeah, don't yell at me, I didn't realize this didn't post! I swear, I could have sworn I had this posted ages ago, but apparently it didn't go through for some stupid reason and I left you all hanging this long for no apparent reason.**

 **Anywayyyy here's the chapter I THOUGHT posted days ago, I really am so SORRY for this. And by the way, one review? Really? Come on people I thought we've been through this, I need reviews to go on. I have no idea if you like this or not unless you tell me. So yeah, reviews or no new chapter.)**

 **Alright, I know this is short, but I really had no idea where else to go with this. Next chapter will be longer I swear. By the way, I'll be taking a bit of a break from writing because I have a couple people asking me to paint them some pictures. And I can't write and paint, I like to focus on one thing at a time so don't worry about it, I'll be back.**

 **During the time I'm painting, when I take a break, I'll be writing the broad ideas down for the next couple chapters so they shouldn't take too long to post, maybe write the start of the next chapter during it, dunno though, it all depends on how intricate the pictures are going to be.**

 **Ummm, I think that's it for now, so please just hold on for me guys. I swear to make the next chapter longer! Please, review!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

Day 3 -Finish-

Niki gaped at Senshi, utterly speechless while he stared at her with an earnest expression on his face. Alright, she really shouldn't be that surprised, it was obvious he was interested in her with everything that happened earlier today. But still!

"Uh... Uhmm..." Snapping her mouth shut, she chewed on her lower lip, eyes dropping down to where the fox kit lay curled up on her lap, peacefully sleeping away. "Doesn't that... Um..." Clearing her throat, she resumed running her fingers through it's russet fur. "Isn't this a sort of... Look, Senshi. I'm not asking for a proposal. I just... Well, all I wanted was the chance to get to know you better, not get married."

Senshi looked away as well, a small bit of pink coloring his cheeks as he watched one of the kits nip on his fingers playfully. "Ah, I see."

"I don't want you to be upset or anything. I just... I guess I just wanted to know you better, like today. Where I come from, it's called dating. Where two people spend time together, alone, and just... Well hang out. We talk, do fun things and learn more about the other person." Niki fumbled around, trying to explain the specifics of modern dating to the feudal man. "There's nothing serious about it, and if things don't work out, nothing goes wrong if they decide they don't want to be together." Glancing over at him, Niki flashed a wry grin at his confused expression.

"I'm really bad at describing things, aren't I?"

Senshi laughed softly and shook his head a bit, his lips twisting up in a slight smile. "No no, I do understand what you mean. I however do not understand the reasoning. Why would two people spend... Time together if they do not mean to become married?" He tipped his head to the side and looked over at her, absolutely confused at the concept.

"Well... It makes sense, I guess. I mean, why would you want to marry someone if you don't know them first? They don't get engaged before they know a person, they date. Then if they really start to care about this person, that's when they decide to get engaged." Shrugging her shoulders, Niki leaned back on her hands, eyebrows drawn together as she tried to figure out the proper way to explain this.

"I see... It is... A careful... Decision? To be cautious then." Senshi rubbed his nose thoughtfully. "How does one... Date?"

A soft, unwilling giggle slipped from her at his words. It was just so... Weird to have someone asking her how to date when she rarely went on real dates herself. "Um, I guess you'd just take whoever you're dating somewhere special and... Spend time together... Um, like this!" She waved a hand around the area, a grin on her face. "This right here could be a date."

"Then, we are dating?" Senshi smiled back at her, looking more at ease than he had been since the conversation first started. His eyes lighting up just the slightest at her relaxed face.

Niki bobbed her head a bit thoughtfully, lips pursed just the slightest bit. "Yeah, you could say we're dating. You'd be what I'd call my boyfriend, I'm you're girlfriend." Feeling her cheeks heating up at the thought, she ducked her head down and ran her fingers over the kit's head gently. "Or... Something like that."

"I see. Very well then, we shall date." Senshi reached out and gently brushed some hair from her face, causing her to look up shyly. "Is this agreeable?"

"Very much so." Niki reached up and rested her hand on the back of his gently before moving the kit from her lap and standing up, brushing the fur from her clothes briskly then glancing over at Senshi and offering a hand up to him. "Come on, it's getting late and dinner should be ready soon."

"Very well, my Lady." A playful smile hovering around his lips at her scowl. Taking her hand, he stood up and pulled her along behind him back towards the horse. "I will escort you to dinner."

Letting out a soft sigh, Niki let him help her up on the horse and held on as he urged Yuki into a trot back towards the palace.

* * *

"So... You're dating the guard then." Sonya sighed, tipping her head back in the water as she washed the soap from it. "I thought we were past this whole thing, Touga is a great guy... Demon."

"Yeah, I know. He won't let me forget that either, trust me. But he told me before I left that if I decided I wanted to be with someone else he wouldn't stop me either, so let it go." Niki growled at the wolf, earning a cheeky smile in return.

"Alright, alright, fine." Rolling her eyes Sonya glanced over where Rin was playing with some wooden toy she had brought to the bath then back over at her friend. "Look, I won't tell you how to live your life or whatever. I'm just saying, the guy is definitely a catch. And if he's who Sesshomaru took after when it comes to being with someone... Then maybe you should think about it."

"Yeah, I also heard he's the one that left Sesshomaru's mother for Inuyasha's." Niki muttered, sinking down in the water slightly with a dark look on her face at the mere thought.

Sonya frowned at her thoughtfully before sudden understanding struck. "That's what it is, isn't it? He's being pushy as hell and you just learned he left one woman for another."

Niki splashed the water a bit, refusing to look up at the wolf as she blew some air between her lips. "Maybe."

"Oh jeez, Niki. Get over it, that happened years ago, wayy to many to be upset about it."

"Easy for you to say, _you're_ with perfection incarnate!" Niki snapped, finally looking up at Sonya. "I've just... Every guy I ever dated, always ended up cheating on me with someone else because apparently I wasn't good enough. I didn't talk about myself, I wasn't around enough or apparently I'm a- quote- 'psycho bitch'. Unquote. Because apparently me not liking my boyfriend going out to party after party while I'm stuck at home doing one thing or another is horrible of me." Splashing the water again, she fell silent and stared down at the water.

Sonya nibbled on her lower lip thoughtfully for a moment then slid over in the water to sit next to her, a arm going around Niki's shoulders in a light hug. "Alright, we won't talk about this right now if you don't want to."

Niki nodded her head and slipped out from under Sonya's arm and went over to where Rin was, offering to wash the little girl's hair as a type of distraction for herself. She didn't like to talk about herself, at all, and even just the bit she told Sonya was too much really.

* * *

Many hours later and finally they were all sitting around the table at dinner. Those hours filled with Kagome and Sango showing up with their respective men. Hours filled with both women coming forward with their news about being pregnant already. And hours of them trying to question Niki unsuccessfully about her and Touga's lack of relationship, with Sonya trying to run interference.

At least Inuyasha seemed to be content with the fact she wasn't with his father. Niki shot a look over at the hanyou across the table from her, studying the proud grin on his face as he smirked at his brother, obviously gloating at the fact he had gotten his mate pregnant first.

Then again, there was the older brother who had more pull with the father... He knew him for years before his death then rebirth. He would have more say to his Father than Inuyasha would right now, not that the younger brother wasn't listened to, it was just Sesshomaru knew the older man better. And judging by his random spout of history about his father, he was all for her being with him.

Biting back a sigh, Niki looked back down at her food, thoughts wandering away from her supposed friends trying to hook her up with the feuding brothers' father and towards her newly acquired boyfriend. She would have asked him to join them, but considering the fact that pretty much everyone at the table wanted her to end up with Touga, it wasn't the best idea.

 _'Jeez, this is just... Ugh.'_ Shaking her head, she ignored the curious looks from Sango and Kagome and resumed picking at her food. It was just aggravating to have everyone trying to hook her up with someone she really didn't even want to think about at the moment.

Narrowing her eyes slightly, Niki mentally glared at the image of Touga as it popped up in her thoughts yet again. Alright, it wasn't as easy as she thought. The man was pushy, irritating, and so full of himself it was hard to believe the shiro even held the size of his ego.

Huffing softly, she rested her chin in her hands and stared blankly at the wood of the table in front of her. Alright, so he could be pretty... Nice. The help he always gave the villagers, easily accepting her wanting to train, then there was that bit where he even went out of his way to give her space, and _then_ he even told her to go ahead and look for someone else if she wanted to.

And then... Well he was a pretty damn good kisser. She grimaced slightly at the thought and ducked her head down to hide the sudden blush rising on her face from the curious eyes around the table pointed at her. There was no denying that at all, and he was... Well alright, he was more and just handsome, he was the living embodiment of Adonis... Maybe that was too generous though.

Biting on her lip, she shoved those thoughts aside and straightened up. Alright, so maybe she was more interested than she wanted to admit, but that didn't mean anything. He was just too damn pushy and a known... So he didn't cheat because he and Sesshomaru's mother wasn't really together per-se, but still! _'Enough of this! I can't even get my thoughts straight about him, why the hell would anything work out with him?'_

Putting her chopsticks aside, she stood up from the table. "I think I'm just going to go to bed, guys. Really tired."

"Still tired from your date earlier?" Sonya sent a sly look over at Niki who glared back. Leave it to the meddling wolf to start problems.

"Date? With who?" Kagome's eyes gleamed with prospect, making Niki curse Sonya even worse in her thoughts. "Just a guy."

"Who though?" Sango leaned forward, a interested look on her face as well, making Niki squirm slightly under the weight of their stares.

"A guard I know, alright? I'm going to bed." Rolling her eyes, Niki escaped from the Spanish inquisition and disappeared from the dining hall, making a beeline for the relative safety of her bedroom for the night. If she could get a few hours away from the far too curious questions and looks from them, it wouldn't be enough.

Leaning back against the door behind her, Niki let out a small sigh and slid down to sit on the ground, arms propped up on her knees as she stared at the room in front of her without really seeing it. Everything was too complicated, too aggravating and just... Too much. What on earth made her think coming here would give her the much needed space to think about him logically when everyone here was dead-set on her marrying the guy?

Dropping her hands down to the floor, she glanced around, gaze falling on the trunk filled with the gifts she had gotten for her birthday not too long ago. All but one of them open. Alright, so it was a bit childish to ignore anything to do with him after the whole thing with Senshi running off because of Touga's not so subtle threat of hurting anyone who tried to get close to her, but it was a while ago...

Getting up, she walked over and lifted the lid on the chest to dig around inside until pulling up the carefully wrapped gift and balancing it on the palm of her hand as she shut the lid and moved over to sit on her futon. Turning it around, she studied it from all sides. It was perfect, meticulously even and not one wrinkle in sight. _'Shibori must have wrapped it, I highly doubt he could do anything this carefully. I've seen him holding a paintbrush so hard it almost snapped it in two.'_

Letting out one last sigh, she slowly unwrapped the gift, revealing a wooden box covered with intricate carvings of snowflakes, one on each side, the one on the lid being the largest. "Oh wow..." Breathing out in surprise, she lifted it up and frowned at the weight. It had a hinge, so it wasn't solid, but what the hell could make it this heavy?

It was pretty long though, almost like a- Eyes widening at the thought, she quickly unlatched the lid and lifted it up, a soft gasp slipping from her lips at the sight of a shining blade nestled on the silver cloth inside. The sheath a silver and light blue, the handle wrapped with the same color blue cloth. Reaching out, she lifted it from the box and held it out, easily drawing the blade and studying the edge with an expert eye. "Oh, Touga..." Niki breathed out, guilt flooding her once again at the less than kind thoughts she had about him lately.

It was custom made, that much was obvious with the way the grip fit her hand perfectly. There was no way a human made this sword... _'He did say he was waiting on an answer from Totosai... This must have been it.'_ Sighing, she settled it back in it's case and closed the lid gently and rested a hand on it's lid. Every time she turned around, it seemed like something was there to turn her thoughts back to him and remind her just how he could be rather than the pushy, arrogant ass he usually was.

It was difficult to hate the guy when he did things like this. He must have put a lot of thought into the gift, he even took the time to study how she held the practice sword she used just to make sure the handle fit in her hand just right. It was even lightweight compared to most swords, giving her leeway to use more speed than power like he had mentioned in one of their training sessions.

"Damn it, why do you do this crap, Touga? I can't be upset with you when you're being so damn sweet." Growling, she got back up and put the case away before flopping back on her futon. It was impossible, she always felt so damn confused when it came to him and she was starting to hate it more and more as it got worse every single time.

And then there was Senshi, he was sweet, funny and gentle. Not to mention a taskmaster when it came to training, always pushing but letting up when she needed it. And he had this kind side to him that she showed with the fox kits, caring for them and making sure they stayed safe.

"Ugh..." Picking up the blanket she covered her face with it and let out a long drawn out groan, the thoughts racing around in her head starting a dull throbbing between her eyes. "What the hell do I do now?"

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	40. Chapter 36

**Chapter 36**

 **So here's the longer promised chapter! Of course it would have been posted yesterday if the stupid website had posted the previous chapter right. Ugh, ridiculous. Anyway, I remember one of my reviewers mentioning Sesshomaru's mother a while ago and here's something to satisfy that question. I didn't really plan on doing this, buuuut, as I'm sure some of you writers know, sometimes the characters will do whatever the hell they want despite what you plan.**

 **Umm, nothing else to say other than reviews or no new chapter again. By the way, thank you for the reviews bertabee and Cupkakebaby, you two rock!**

 **I think that's it, onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

 **-Day 4-**

"I see you've opened the gift he had given you." Shibori's voice cut through Niki attempt at hiding under the blanket, earning a muffled growl. "I did say you would appreciate it, did I not?" The stern tone making her peek out from the edge and narrow her eyes on the maid standing at the foot of her futon.

"What crawled up your butt and died?"

"My lady!" Shibori's eyes widened slightly, obviously offended with her choice in words. "That is not how you should speak."

"Yeah, well you're acting all bitchy for no reason at all." Niki grumbled, sitting up and rubbing at her messy hair with a wide yawn. "Yesterday you were just fine, now all of a sudden you act like I disappointed you."

"Hm." Humming slightly under her breath, Shibori turned away and busied herself with tidying up the slight mess Niki had made the night before and setting out some clothes for the day. "I have heard of your... Trip with Senshi yesterday, and I must say it was entirely inappropriate."

"Ina- Whoa, who made _you_ my mother? I am plenty old enough to make decisions on my own!" Niki snapped, already in a sour mood from lack of sleep that night only being made worse by her maid's sudden attitude. "Look, I'm sorry if you don't think it's... _'Right'_ for me to spend time with him alone, but it's not really your choice, is it?" Gritting her teeth, she turned away and yanked off her clothes from the night before and began tugging the kimono on that Shibori had laid out.

"You are correct. I have no say in the matter, however, Lady. It is my understanding Headman Touga had sent me along with you to keep an eye out and be sure you are safe." The maid sniffed lightly and finished tucking away the last of her things and stood back up. "While it is your choice of who you wish to spend time with, I believe your safety is in question when you leave alone without saying anything."

"Whatever." Niki scowled and tightened her clothes before walking past her to the door. "So _sorry_ for not spending time with the person you seem to think I should be with." With that said, she slid the door open and shut it tightly behind her.

Without looking back, she spun on her heel and stalked off down the hall at a random direction, just wanting to put some space between her and the argument she just had with her favorite maid. It hurt to think even she looked down on her because she was choosing someone else, but damn it, she wasn't about to have everyone tell her who she should be with.

Grumbling under her breath, Niki turned down another random hallway before realizing she was in a completely different area than usual. The lights weren't lit and it smelled slightly musty, as if no one came down here often.

Chancing a quick look behind her, she shrugged her shoulders and continued forward, this time must slower than before so she could take in some of the strange furniture littering the halls.

"Must be a old wing they don't use anymore." She mused to herself, pausing outside one of the ornamental doors, much thicker than the others she'd seen in the shiro in the past few days. "Wonder why."

Looking around quickly to make sure no one saw her, she slid it open just enough to slip inside and shut it quickly behind her. Holding her breath, she listened for any footsteps and only heard silence. For some reason, she couldn't really explain it, but it felt like this area was off-limits to everyone aside from the master of the house, and knowing Sesshomaru, it wouldn't take much to irritate him.

Rolling her eyes, she turned around slowly and examined the room curiously. Dust covered everything inside with a thick blanket, even taking a step sent a small cloud up under her feet. Grimacing at the tickle in her nose and the acrid taste, Niki covered her face with the sleeve of her kimono and moved forward again, intent on getting to the window so she could crack it open and let some light in. She couldn't risk lighting a candle considering all the sensitive noses.

Then again they'd still know she was here considering those same noses, but oh well. With a shrug, she tugged the cloth covering the window aside just enough to let the sunlight in and turned around to see just what was in there.

One eyebrow quirked upwards as she looked around. It was a bedroom, the futon still laid out and the chest for clothes spilled over with silks and other things as if the owner just left the room moments ago.

A low table sat off to the side of where she stood, a half-written letter still sitting on it, the ink and brush set beside the paper like they were just waiting to be used again.

Finally two stands in the corner, one for armor, the other for a set of three swords. It was a simple room, but the items in it spoke more about the person than the room itself did. Intelligent, obviously with this day and age considering the writing desk.

Strong and sure because of the armor and sword stands. Three swords? Obviously a master of some kind. Then the messy clothes chest pretty much spoke of someone in a hurry most of the time, they didn't take the time to fix it, and they most likely desired privacy considering no one came in to fix it for them.

So... Basically a pretty interesting person, someone she'd enjoy talking to at least.

Moving towards the desk, she squinted at the Kanjii covering the paper curiously, only able to pick out one or two words. Other than that it was just full of scribbles that meant absolutely nothing.

Grimacing at her lack of understanding, she set it back down and turned towards the chest, curious to see just what kinds of clothes were in there. The first thing she pulled out determined it had definitely been a man. The haori white with grey-blue coloring along one of the shoulders. Holding it out at arm's length, she shook it out and frowned slightly. It was hard to say, but it looked somewhat familiar, but she just couldn't place it.

With a shrug, she put it aside and dug deeper, her curiosity growing with each piece of clothing she pulled out. Several more haori with varying different colors decorating them. Then the hakima, all white. Well, as white as they could be covered in dust anyway. A pair of spare boots that looked a lot like Sesshomaru's... In fact...

Glancing over at the steadily growing pile of clothes, Niki pursed her lips in thought then turned back to the boots in her hand. This room might have been Sesshomaru's when he was younger, in that case, then she was definitely in trouble if he found out she had been in here.

Twisting her lips to the side, she started packing the clothes back inside the chest quickly. Better get out of there before someone did find out, last thing she wanted was the Lord of the Western lands pissed off at her because she couldn't keep her nose out of anything.

Picking up the last haori, she tucked it away only to notice something flutter out of the sleeve and to the floor. "Hm?" Picking it up, she frowned and turned the small, pressed flower between her fingers. "So... Apparently he was a lover of flowers for a while."

twisting it around again, she held it out in the light for a better look. It was a simple purple flower with white tips. Nothing special really, she'd seen them all over the place, one of the gardens Rin loved so much was full of them. So... Why was this one so special?

"I do believe this room is off-limits to everyone." A soft, feminine voice drew Niki from her thoughts, her head turning towards the door where a tall, slender woman stood. Even with her curves and pigtails, she looked too much like Sesshomaru not to be anyone else.

Licking her lips nervously, Niki put the flower down on top of the clothes in the chest and stood back up, hands dusting the front of her kimono while she tried to think of something, anything to say that would explain her snooping. A soft, tinkling laugh brought her out of her nervous actions and back to the woman in the doorway, her face hidden behind a fan as golden eyes observed her with amusement.

"Do not worry, I will keep this a secret from my son. He is rather protective of this wing you see."

"So... You are his mother. I thought so." Niki laughed dryly, earning another little laugh from her. "Yes, my name is Hibon, and it is a pleasure to finally meet you."

* * *

 **Hibon- Meaning Extraordinary or Unique/Rare. I figured I'd give her a bit more of a... Humane side than what most people give her in Fanfics. You'll see what I mean.**

* * *

"So, may I ask as to why you are in the room for the Father of my son?" Hibon asked lightly, stepping inside and shutting the door behind her while she spoke, eyes never leaving Niki's face.

"Uh, wait, this is Touga's room? I thought it was Sesshomaru's..." Frowning slightly, Niki glanced around again, ruefully admitting to herself it should have been obvious when she first walked in.

"Indeed, it is his room. Or rather, what was his room before his death." Hibon let out a small, dramatic sigh as she walked over and knelt on the futon, one hand brushing across the messy blanket tossed over top.

"Oh, well that would explain the half letter over there." Glancing over at the desk, Niki moved to stand beside the older woman curiously, watching as she absentmindedly brushed the dust from the futon. "Though I expected him to have more decorations in his room..."

"Ah, Touga was much too busy to decorate. Ruling the Western Lands had taken much of his time in those years. Just on the brink of war, even." Looking up finally, Hibon smiled wryly at Niki and got back to her feet. "Shall we speak elsewhere? I believe something to drink may be in order."

"Uh, sure, if you say so." Shrugging her shoulders, Niki followed her out of the room and moving farther down the hallway. Only a few doors down, Hibon stopped and slid open a fuchsia colored door and walked inside, one hand waving at Niki to come in behind her.

Pausing to close the door, she turned around to see the demon woman sitting at a low table, a teapot already sitting in front of her along with two glasses. "Well, that was fast."

"I was sitting down to tea already when I heard you in his room." Hibon waved her fan at the cushion across from her, indicating she should sit down as she poured the steaming liquid out into the glasses. "Now, may I ask as to why you were in there?"

"Ah... Well I was curious I guess." Niki shrugged and settled down, one hand wrapping around the cup and lifting it to her lips to take a sip. "That and I was trying to get away from Shibori, my maid." She added as an afterthought, her lips twisting to the side at the memory of their argument earlier.

"I see." Hibon nodded slightly, that amusement still sparkling in her eyes as she lifted her glass up too. "And why were you trying to escape her?"

"We had a fight. She's not exactly happy with my choice in... Companion I guess you could say." Frowning, she looked down at the cup in her hand. "Maybe you can clear things up for me, I'm not from around these parts so to speak and I really don't get it, but why would someone get mad at you if you decided to spend some time with a friend you really care about?"

"Hmm... I sense there is more to this than you are saying." At Niki's sharp look, she smiled slyly and waved her fan at her. "I am a woman myself, you know."

Rolling her eyes, Niki allowed a small smile to pull at her lips. "Alright, I guess I'll give you that one. Alright, then yes. Apparently everyone around here thinks I should end up with someone else. But he's just so damn bull-headed and egotistical I just can't stand to be around him. He's got it in his head I'll end up with him too, and that just makes things worse."

"Yes, Touga can be rather... Rough, around the edges." Hibon laughed lightly, causing Niki to flush a bit. "That obvious?"

"Not at all." Hibon hid her smile behind her tea cup, her gold eyes dancing with laughter as the human in front of her squirmed uncomfortably. "He believes he is the god's gift to this world."

"No kidding, I'm surprised his ego doesn't actually push people out of a room when he walks in." Niki muttered, making Hibon laugh again, louder this time. "Oh my! Does he know you speak like this of him?"

"More than knows, I've told him worse, so I'm pretty sure he's up to date on how I think of him." Lifting her shoulder in a half-shrug, Niki fiddled with her cup idly. "Can I ask you something?"

"You wish to know about how he could have Sesshomaru and yet still be with Inuyasha's mother?" The demon's uncanny knowledge making Niki frown slightly. Apparently her ability to be subtle didn't work too well on demons at all. "Uh, well yeah, I guess."

Hibon put the cup down and let out a small sigh, that small smile still hovering around her lips as she stared sightlessly at the table in front of them. "Touga and I had been friends for many years before our parents had come to us about mating. However much I cared for him, I loved another and could not agree."

"Touga, knowing my parents may very well abandon me for this, offered a breeding contract instead. I carry his heir, and be given estates to do as I wish." Pausing, she took a sip of her tea and focused her gaze on Niki who was staring at her intently. "While my parents were not pleased with this, they agreed and things were settled. Merely a week later I became pregnant and given this room to stay in for the duration. Once Sesshomaru was born, however, I desired to be there for him and Touga allowed me to stay and help raise him, even while he had every right to tell me to leave after giving birth."

"Wait, he could have just taken Sesshomaru away and tell you to get lost? That's horrible!" Niki cut in, horrified at the mere thought of someone doing that to anyone else.

Hibon laughed and shook her head lightly. "That is not the point, while he had the right to, he did not and we raised Sesshomaru together. In that time, we grew closer as friends, and he confided in me about everything. Including on the human woman he had become infatuated with."

Not even paying attention to her tea anymore, Niki leaned forward, drawn into the story despite herself as Hibon continued, her voice creating images in her mind's eye.

"He had gone on a trip to a nearby human Lord's shiro to settle a treaty of peace between their armies. Touga said there had been too much blood shed and it was time to stop before both were dead. Upon arriving, the Lord's daughter was there to greet him, explaining her father had been caught by his advisers and would be late. She was to apologize and entertain him until her father could come."

"After several hours of entertaining, he was enamored with her. He had told me several times he could not believe a woman of her elegance and beauty could both be stern, well-learned as well as gentle and kind. It seemed he believed she hung the very stars in the sky from the way he spoke of her." Hibon smiled and dropped her eyes down to the cup in her hands, turning it around in thought before continuing.

"Then, one day, she left the shiro, intent on putting space between her and the servants that constantly hovered around her only to be attacked by several men of the village nearby, they had planned on taking her hostage for money from her father. Touga had been nearby and scared the men off, it would seem the woman had no knowledge of his demon heritage, as obvious as it is on his features, and became frightened.

"Reassuring her had not been easy according to him, but finally she had calmed enough to agree to allow him to escort her back home. For months afterwards, he would disappear for days at a time, I later found out he would leave to take her out and travel. It was nearly a year later when he came to me with the news that she had become pregnant. He then claimed he planned on mating her, however with hanyo pregnancies being difficult as they were... He could not do so until after the child was born."

She fell silent again, unexpected pain shining in her eyes for a split second before fading away again behind another smile, this one forced however, making Niki tense up. She had heard the story, this was how Touga died.

"However her father had been less than pleased with how his daughter had become pregnant with a demon's child, and despite the treaty with Touga, he refused to let him see her. As he did not break the treaty, Touga could not do anything either without breaking it himself, and so he had been left to suffer in silence. During this time, Sesshomaru took over much of the work leading the Western Lands. So expressive as a child, he slowly began building up a mask to hide behind in front of the masses and it became normal..." A small sigh slipped from her this time, the thoughts of a smiling, laughing child of her Sesshomaru flickering across her thoughts then fading away.

"However she had managed to send word to him through one of her trusted maids, the baby was on it's way. Once hearing this, he left with only a few words to his son, he left to save her. The next day word spread of how the shiro had burned to the ground and no one escaped other than the daughter and her newborn son. I believe Sesshomaru took the news harder than anyone. Before Touga met her, he had been the very center of his father's attention, and when he died protecting them... I believe he took that as his father abandoning him."

"How sad..." Niki sighed, her eyes dropping down to the cold cup of tea in her hands with a frown. "I had no idea."

"Of course you did not, you did not ask." Hibon's eyebrow rose at the sheepish look on Niki's face. "I guess I didn't, did I?"

"You will never learn unless you seek knowledge first." Setting her cup down, Hibori smiled gently at the human across from her as she stood up. "Now, I believe it is time for the noon meal and I am sure my son is curious as to why I am visiting at this time." Niki smiled back and got to her feet as well. "Sounds good to me. And... Hibon?"

"Yes..?" The demoness paused in the doorway, looking over her shoulder at Niki with a curious look in her eyes, fan already out and covering her lips.

"Thanks." Hibon's eyes twinkled slightly as she nodded her head and gestured for her to follow down the hallway once again, this time heading for the dining room so they could join the others for lunch.

* * *

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	41. Chapter 37

**Chapter 36**

 **Alright let me first apologize for how long it took me to put this up, my old computer was acting up and I didn't trust it to save anything I typed or even work long enough for me to type up a new chapter on here . So please accept my deepest apologies. But now I have a new computer so everything should be nice and easy. It's a Nextbook Flexx 10 if you're curious what one it is.**

 **Also, I want to apologize to Saitoshi for taking so long to reply to her message, I really am sorry for that! And to make up for it all, I'm going to make this one nice and long, as well as plan ahead by typing up several chapters in advance so I don't have to worry about this for a nice long while. Now that's out of the way...**

 **Saitoshi also wrote the part where her character make's it appearance, so cudos go to her too people!**

 **Please two or more reviews!**

 **Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL S0nya**

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* * *

 **-Day 5-**

Things had calmed down considerably after Niki finished her talk with Hibon, she even went out of her way to find Shibori and patch things up with the maid before they ended up never speaking again. After a long lunch, she and Sonya went out with Kagome and Sango to the village for some, what Kagome called, 'Girl Time'. Meaning they wandered around the market, stuffed their faces with various foods being offered and bought a few things just to show they weren't just being lazy.

Afterwards found her in the inner garden with Senshi, simply relaxing on a bench beside the small stream running through, though how a stream could be inside the inner courtyard was beyond her, she just chalked it up to demons and their unusual abilities before it gave her a headache.

Niki leaned back and closed her eyes against the bright sunlight, letting what little warmth it had to offer wash over her upturned face with a small smile. "Smells like spring but it's barely through December. It's only the fifteenth."

"Your tracking of time is usual." Senshi chuckled, also leaning back to relax beside her, his gaze slipping over to study her. "To me, it is simply winter, when the snow melts and the air warms, it is spring."

"Yeah, it's pretty easy to just let the days slide past you, but it helps me keep a grip on my reality, knowing what day it is." Niki tipped her head and grinned at the young guard cheekily. "Besides, no one ever said you had to learn how to keep time like I do." Sitting up, she stretched her arms over her head and let out a soft yawn, the laziness of the day catching up with her as she looked around the garden. "I wonder what this place looks like in spring. I mean, I know what that one garden looks like, but it's been preserved or something so the winter didn't touch it. This one though... It has apple trees and all sorts of flower bushes I haven't seen before."

"I believe many of the plants in the gardens of this Shiro were offered as gifts from lords in other lands."

"Other lands? But I didn't think Japan had trades with other lands." Niki frowned at that and pulled her eyebrows together in thought. "The human lords do not, however, I have learned demon lords have trades in other lands for various materials that cannot be found here." Senshi ran a hand through his hair then let out a short laugh. "I have met and befriended more demons living and working in this shiro than I ever believed I would have before."

"Is that such a bad thing?" Niki grinned over at him as he smiled wryly back, one shoulder lifting up in a shrug, something he picked up from her in the past couple of days. "I assume it is not, however, how can I ever live in a human village again after seeing all of what demons can do?" He tipped his head back and looked up at the clouds thoughtfully. Watching him, Niki frowned at the fleeting thought of Touga doing the same thing whenever he was deep in thought about something.

Turning away from Senshi, Niki brushed her hands over her pants and began walking aimlessly through the garden paths, Senshi hurrying along behind her to catch up, easily falling into step beside her, his hand slipping over to wrap gently around hers. "You seem distracted."

"No... Well- Yes... Kind of." She let out a sigh and pursed her lips in irritation. "I met Sesshomaru's mother yesterday."

Senshi let go of her hand quickly and stiffened his spine just a little, obvious discomfort practically coming off of him in waves. "I see."

"Senshi, it wasn't like that." She sighed, stopping in her tracks and reaching out to grab his arm. "She just explained some things to me I didn't know about, that's all."

"But in doing so, now you think of the Headman more than ever, correct?" He asked quietly, a faint gleam of defeat in his eyes when he glanced over at Niki then away just as quick. "The more you learn about someone, the closer you will get."

"Well... If you say it like that, then yes, I suppose so. But it doesn't change anything, Senshi. I'm not going to leave you just because I learned something new." Taking a couple steps closer, she reached up and brushed a few strands of hair from his face with a small smile. "I told you I wanted a chance to know you better, and that's just what I'm going to do."

Senshi stared down at her quietly, hands reaching up to rest on her upper arms gently. Leaning close, he rested his forehead against hers with a small sigh. "My Lady I cannot allow you to pass the chance for happiness, even if it may not be with me. You have learned the Headman is not what you thought him to be. For now, it may be best for me to be close and nothing more until you can make a decision."

Niki pulled away from him, a scowl pulling her lips downward sharply. "You're breaking up with me? You don't even know what it means and yet you're doing it! This is ridiculous, Senshi, I told you I would be your girlfriend and I plan on keeping it that way."

"Lady-"

"Niki." Niki sighed, arms wrapping around herself with a sullen expression. "I told you before, call me Niki."

Senshi paused and looked over at her, searching her face for something then continuing where he left off. "Niki, I cannot help but feel you are reluctant in light of finding new information of the Headman. If you wish to learn more of him and find him desirable, more so than myself, then I refuse to stand in the way of that happiness you may have." Reaching out, he rested a hand on her head gently, fingers combing through her hair. "This is merely temporary, when you can reach your decision with a clear mind and heart, I will be here to listen."

"This is probably the cutest and most stupid thing anyone's done for me, you know that?" Niki sniffed, fighting off the unwanted tears starting to burn in her eyes.

"I wish your happiness and nothing more." Senshi smiled and leaned forward, his lips brushing her forehead lightly before he pulled away and walked towards the exit, not looking back once even as he disappeared into the shiro. Letting out a gusty sigh, Niki dropped her hands to her sides and looked around idly. "Well... This sucks."

* * *

"So... What happened?" Niki sighed and closed her eyes as Kagome started the inquisition seconds after she slipped into the water with the rest of the 'gang'. "Do we really have to talk about my love life? Is there seriously nothing else for you three to be curious about?"

"Nope, all of us are happily settled, you're the only single one left, so out with it." Kagome splashed some water towards her as Niki stuck her tongue out childishly. "He broke up with me, happy?"

"What! Why?" Sonya frowned, scooting closer to the young woman, curiosity getting the best of her. "I would have bet my tails he was head over heels for you."

Niki shot a narrow look at the wolf and scooted away from her before she could put her arm around her. "Apparently after hearing me say I met Sesshomaru's mom, he got the idea in his head that I wanted to get closer to Touga and backed off so I could make a 'proper decision'."

"Well, you can't blame the guy, all that time in the Shiro with you two it's kind of hard to think you two weren't together. I mean, look at the time period we're in. Usually when a man and woman are living together it means their relatives or married." Kagome shrugged, already soaping up her arms as she spoke. "Besides, I think it's sweet he wants to let you make your choice without feeling pressured."

"I guess so, still it's kind of irritating." Niki huffed and slid down in the water, blowing bubbles with her mouth while deep in thought then straightened back up again. "Nothing I can do about it though I guess, let things happen as they happen." With a frown, she started washing up too, too deep in thought to notice the knowing glances the other three shared.

If you think about it, when someone doesn't fight a decision out of their control, it usually means they're not all that upset about it, right?

* * *

"Shibori, what do you think about a man that has a child with one woman even though they aren't in a actual relationship, then turns around and finds a woman he is in love with to have another child with?" Niki glanced up from the notebook she was writing in when the maid walked into her room later that night.

"That is a very pointed question, Lady." Shibori glanced over at Niki with a raised eyebrow. "I trust there is a reason behind it?"

Niki squirmed under the older woman's stare nervously. "Maybe, are you going to answer?"

Shibori hid a smile and knelt beside the futon, a thoughtful look in her eyes. "I believe a man such as that may have had no other choice other than to have the first child. While I believe he may love his eldest, to have a child with another woman he truly loved would prove to be another experiance entierly." Looking up at Niki, she leaned closer and rested a hand on her arm gently, drawing the woman's attention to her, a gentle smile on her face. "This has something to do with the Headman, am I correct?"

Huffing quietly at the knowing gleam in her maid's eyes, Niki nodded reluctantly. "I found out Sesshomaru's mother was offered something called a 'breeding contract' instead of mating Touga. Now it's just a jumbled mess in my head. I mean, I believed he was just a really good friend, then he started pushing things, wanting me to be with him, to court and to be his alone, so I pulled away. I hate it when someone is so damn pushy. But the only thing I had to hold onto was the fact I believed he cheated on Sesshomaru's mother, and now I know that's not true so I have no idea what to do anymore." Falling backwards onto her futon, Niki stared up at the ceiling with a confused look on her face. "What should I do?"

"I believe you should do what is right to you, Lady. What feels right in your heart?" Shibori picked up the notebook and pencil from the futon and began pulling out clothes for Niki to change into for bed.

Twisting her lips to the side, Niki debated on saying the truth or not. A quick glance from her maid settling the decision easily as she sighed and got to her feet so she could change clothes. "I think I miss him."

"You think you may miss him, or do you know?"

"I can't stop thinking about him, I mean, every damn time I think of anything, it usually goes right back to him some way shape or form, so yeah, I think I miss him."

"Then perhaps a trip back to the shiro, My Lady?" Shibori asked gently, that mothering smile on her face as she watched Niki get dressed for bed and lay down, that same frown on her face. "Do you think it would help?"

"I believe some of your questions would be answered clearly by the man they are about than by anyone else, no matter how well they may know him." The maid nodded firmly, earning a weak grin from Niki. "Sonya is going to kill me for leaving early. She was counting on me to help decorate for Rin's party. Oh! That kimono she and Sesshomaru paid for, what a waste..."

"I believe they may not be as angry as you think they will be once they hear why you are leaving early, Lady." Shibori chuckled, kneeling beside her head and a hand gently brushing through her hair in a soothing manner. Niki groaned at that and covered her eyes with her hands. "They are never going to let me live this down, ever."

Shibori merely chuckled and shook her head, used to her Lady's unusual way of phrasing things as she continued brushing her hand over her hair. "Sleep, Lady. Things may wait until the morning."

"Yeah yeah..." Niki yawned and closed her eyes, pulling the blanket up to her chin as she rolled onto her side, letting the Maid's gentle hand lull her to sleep.

* * *

 **(This part was inspired by the songs 'pain' and 'animal I've become' by Three Days Grace, just in case you were wondering.)**

"What! But you were going to help with decorations! I don't know anything about this stuff, help me!" Sonya grabbed the front of Niki's shirt, a desperate look on her face. "You have no idea how confusing this stuff is, you're naturally artistic! I have to burn my brain just to make a stickman!" The wolf started shaking the young woman back and forth slightly while she spoke, the desperation transforming into full-blown panic.

"Sonya! Calm down, Kagome is here, I'm sure she'll help you." Niki cut the panicking woman off and pried her hands off of her shirt carefully, avoiding her claws as she plucked them from the fabric. "I'm sure she's plenty artistic for the both of you to make this place look awesome. But it's important for me to go, alright." Sending a look around, she caught sight of Kagome and waved her over desperately, indicating Sonya was on a near-meltdown and needed help.

The miko laughed and walked over, Sango in tow as she pulled Sonya back a couple of steps, giving Niki room to breathe a sigh in relief. "Calm down, Sango and I said we'd help so let her go. She has a man waiting for her at home." She sent a sly look over at Niki, watching as she blushed and looked away.

"Shut up." Rolling her eyes at the knowing looks, Niki turned away and walked back over to where Shibori was waiting by the door. "I'm gonna be leaving here in a couple of hours."

"What about Senshi?" Sango's question brought her up short.

Of course, if he found out she was leaving to go back to the shiro, he'd obviously think she made her choice unless she said something to him about it. But even then he'd probably still think that, still... There was no way around it, she couldn't just leave without telling him, that would hurt more than anything.

Letting out a small sigh, she nodded slightly to Sango before leaving the room, already on her way towards where she knew Senshi stood guard at this time of day.. It would hurt him, definitely, but after she got her questions answered, she'd be able to give him a clear answer rather than leave the poor guy to sit back and wonder for the rest of his life.

Coming around the corner, she stopped short and just watched him as Senshi spoke with the other guard stationd with him. He looked happy for the most part, but then again, she didn't know him that well, did she? That was the whole point of them even dating in the first place, so she could get to know him better and for him to know her too.

At Shibori's soft nudge, she stepped forward, getting his attention. The smile on his face fading away slightly at the look on her face only to be picked back up as he stepped around the other guard to meet her. "There is a rumor you plan on leaving." He said softly, making Niki flinch slightly, eyes dropping down to her hands as they twisted together. "Yeah, there's some questions only he can answer so..."

"I see, and then perhaps you will have your answer?" He spoke in the same, soft tone, obviously trying not to upset her. Reaching out, he brushed the hair from her face and urged her to look up at him. "With whatever choice you make, I will be by your side, Lady. Never forget that."

"I know." Niki forced a smile as she studied his face closely. "Don't think it's over yet, I'm just going to get some questions answered, buddy. You haven't gotten rid of me yet." She teased weakly, making him chuckle and shake his head.

"I believe you will return with your answer, and despite what it may be, I will never be angry." He brushed his hand over her hair then stepped back, his head dipping down in a slight bow. "I will await your answer, My Lady."

"Yeah..." Not having the heart to correct him again, Niki turned away and started walking back to her rooms, her chest twinging slightly with the faint echo of pain. Just when he stepped away from her, she saw the pain he was trying to hide, she knew it. He already thought she was going back to Touga for good, and as far as she knew, he could be right. That was what hurt. "Come on, Shibori, let's finish packing."

* * *

Saitoshi had watched as the human woman had left her brother's palace in a carriage. If her plan were to succeed, the precious cargo would have to be midway to her father's residence. She would have to continue to follow the carriage until the time comes.

When she estimated that the carriage was about midway to her father's residence, she decided to make her presence known, starting with the horses. Hoping they would react the way she wanted them to, she decided to approach the carriage from the front and let loose her demonic scent, as to scare the horses and driver.

The horses on the carriage began to whine in fear, the mere scent wafting over their noses enough to send them into a frenzy of terror. Bucking up, they kicked their forelegs wildly, making it nearly impossible for the driver to control them. With an almighty jerk, they broke free of the carriage, sending it toppling over and onto the side of the road.

Shibori let out a cry, arms wrapping around Niki in a protective hold as they were thrown violently outside through the broken wall. Landing roughly on the grass, she let out a soft groan of pain, a quick glance over at her Lady, she saw Niki had been knocked unconscious by a rough blow to the head after landing. She got to her knees, carefully checking over her Lady before stumbling to her feet and looking over at the source of the disturbance.

"Who are you!" Narrowing her eyes slightly, she glared at the strange woman standing on the road, the driver nowhere to be seen. _'Possibly ran off. The coward.'_ Gritting her teeth, she reached up and pulled the pin holding her hair up out, brandishing it threateningly towards the woman. "Leave now."

Saitoshi was humored that this mortal thinks she could order her what to do. Soon everything would turn out just the way she wanted. Soon. She ignores Shibori and continues towards the 'precious cargo'.

"I demand you leave immediately!" Shibori shouted, throwing the pin at the woman, the skills her own mother taught her years ago coming into effect as it made direct contact with the point where her neck and shoulder met. "I will not allow you to come closer." Eyes narrow, she retrieved another pin from a pocket hidden in her sleeve, the steel edge glinting slightly in the light of day.

Saitoshi lifted her hand to the spot where she felt a sting of pain. It wasn't painful, more like a tiny poke of a pin. She felt wetness, then removed her hand revealing blood on her fingertips. "Blood." Her body starts to pulsate. Her smile grew wider. Her eyes change red and glossed over. She had lost control and conscience. The Blood-Lust of all yokai and daiyokai alike took control.

Saitoshi moves to Shibori within a blink of an eye and grips her face firmly in her right hand. She throws Shibori to the ground, with her hand still connected to Shibori's face. Saitoshi leans down, and with lightning like speed takes her mouth and clenches her jaw around Shibori's neck. Just as fast as she clenched her jaw around her neck, she bit down and ripped away the front, causing Shibori to die instantly.

After satisfying her Blood-Lust, she licked her lips and returned to normal. She looked upon Shibori and felt sorry for the mortal. It just wasn't her lucky day. She clasped her hands together and sent a little prayer to kami that the mortal made it to paradise.

Saitoshi Stood up after praying and walked over to the other woman. She picked Niki up and summoned a light blue colored cloud to fly them to her current residence near the ravine that Ryokotsuei had once been sealed by her father. It was time to send a message to her Father.

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	42. Author's Note

**To those of you still waiting for the new chapter, I apologize. As of right now I'm stalled until I can fill in the pieces from Saitoshi. (No I'm not mad at you or blaming you, girl! I know how difficult it is to juggle online time and RL with a kid.) But until she does send me what I do need for the new chapter, I will say this:**

 **I don't know if there are any LotR fans reading this or not, but as a side project on my facebook page, I've been working on a LotR fanfiction titled** ** _'Silence is Golden (but Elvish Rope is Silver)'_** **for giggles mostly. So if you're tired of waiting for this and need something interesting to read until it's updated, head over to facebook and take a peek at it! I promise it's fairly good. Only a prologue and one chapter in, but at least it's something to read until Draw Me In is updated.**

 **Just to remind some of you that don't know my page, all you need to do is go to your search on facebook and type in TL S0nya and it should pop up. The picture is a white haired geek in black glasses hehe.**

 **I really am sorry for how long it's taking, but please don't be upset at Saitoshi, she has things she needs to do other than write stuff for me you know! Hope some of you pop over on my facebook too, I could use a lot of new likes on the page.**

 **Hit me up if you have questions or comments!**


	43. So so Sorry

**I regretfully inform you all I do not think I will be finishing this story. With the way things are going I don't think I will be able to keep writing it, sadly Draw Me In may never be finished and I am so so sorry for this.**

 **Please do not try to convince me otherwise, my writing has dried up and I've run out of ideas for this, not to mention lack of interest in it. If anything, whenever I post a new chapter I'm lucky if I get two reviews anymore.**

 **Not to mention things are getting hard living in the house I'm in now, not a happy camper here at all. It's hard to keep going on a story where no one wants to read or even offer a little encouragement or try to help or anything at all.**

 **Anyway, I just wanted to let you all know things aren't working out all that well and I hate to make you all upset doing this, but it's hard to keep going doing it, you know?**

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 **another thing:**

 **APRIL FOOLS!**

 **Got you didn't I? xD Just kidding you dorks, I'll still be updating once I get what I need for my next chapter. Stop freaking out and sit tight, it's still going strong.**

 **-TL**


	44. Sooo

**So considering how long it's taking for an update, who here would be interested in me posting my LotR fanfic in the meantime? I have a teaser prologue and two chapters already typed up so that's two day's worth of something else to read.**

 **Lemme know what you think because I'm bored out of my skull.**

 **-TL**


	45. Update on LotR fanfic

**Alright so I posted the LotR fanfic, hopefully it'll be alright I already have two followers so I'll take it as a good sign.**

 **It's titled** ** _'Silence is Golden (but Elven Rope is Silver)'_** **yes yes, random title I know, but I think it's eye-catching hehe.**

 **Anyway, those of you interested in it, go follow and review. I will be posting the second chapter here soon so yea... Go do that.**

 **I need coffee before I do anything else today, I seriously don't have my brain working the way it should.**

 **-TL**


	46. Chapter 38

**Chapter 38**

 **Sorry it took so long! I've been busy with my LotR fanfic as well as dealing with real life. Because apparently my mother and her husband decided to take a trip down to Florida and didn't think to tell me until the day before they left. So EVERYTHING in the house is my job now. (Not like it wasn't before, but at least I could count on my step-dad on taking the trash out for me)**

 **And Saitoishi finally got her computer fixed, so I was able to get some of the much-needed information for this chapter! Thank you!**

 **Erm... Not much else to say other than I really am sorry and I hope you enjoy this chapter as much as I did writing it.**

 **Just so you know, this chapter was written to the song 'The Hanging Tree' from Mockingjay part one. I found a video where it's repeated for ten hours straight so yeah xD**

 **The tag end of the link is watch?v=6b5novukBiU if you wanna look it up.**

 **Onward!**

 **-I do NOT own Inuyasha or it's characters**

 **-I DO own Sonya, Niki and the plot**

 **~TL**

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A tickling feeling on Niki's cheek slowly drug her from unconsciousness. Eyes still closed, she waved at the thing weakly to try and shoo whatever it was off. Squeezing her eyes tight, she grimaced against the throbbing pain in the back of her head as she shifted slightly against the hard, cold surface she lay on.

The tickling feeling returned, accompanied by low hissing noises this time, barely making it past the ringing in her ears caused by the throbbing. Gritting her teeth, Niki cracked an eye open, peering out from between the eyelashes, she spotted a vague outline just beside her head.

Frowning, she slowly opened both eyes wide, trying to bring the object into focus. "Hey... I wondered where you disappeared to..." She whispered hoarsely, recognizing the snake beside her, a small smile pulling at her lips as it flicked it's tongue against her cheek once more.

"I missed you too, buddy." Niki murmured, moving her hand up to stroke the snake's head only for her to realize both of them were tied behind her back with some rope. "You've got to be kidding me." She gasped, grimacing at the sharp throb in her head she got for moving even half an inch.

"So... well this sucks." She muttered, turning her head slowly back over so she could face the snake again. "So much for getting up to see where I'm at."

The snake studied her for a moment, then flicked it's tongue against her nose lightly before turning around and slithering out of her line of sight. "Well... I suppose I can't make you stay here and starve with me." She sighed, eyes closing again as she tried to relax despite the pain she was in.

* * *

 **Saitoshi wrote the letter!**

* * *

"Headman, a message arrived for you!" A young servant boy knocked on the door to Touga's study, waiting for the demon inside to bid his entry and slipping in once he did. Glancing up nervously, he shuffled forward and held out the scroll in his hands to the Headman, refusing to meet his eyes.

Raising an eyebrow at the boy's behavior, he reached out and plucked the scroll from his grasp and broke the unfamiliar seal to read it's contents.

In just the first sentence, his confusion started.

By the end, his blood boiled, his claws piercing the paper as he glared at the words in front of him.

 _Dear Father,_

 _I first would like to say it's been a long time since I have written you a letter. I was such a young demon back then and I had admired you. Then I found out about you having another family and tried my best to forget you. With mother getting sick and I had no choice but to relieve her pain by ending her miserable life. Then that fateful night you showed up just afterwards, beaten up and battered. So, I..._

 _Anyways no time to reminisce about the past and tell you why I sent this letter. I have your human and will rip her to shreds if you do not follow my instructions properly._

 _I officially send this Letter of Challenge to Duel with you at the Death place of Ryokoutsei. Arrive in 3 days when the sun it at the highest point of the day. Do come alone. I wish not to be interrupted._

 _Your Vengeful Daughter,_

 _Saitoshi_

 _P.S. Bring some Fish!_

Clenching a fist, Touga crumpled the paper in his hand into a small ball, his eyes closing tight as he tried to calm himself. His own flesh and blood using Niki as bait to lure him into a battle!

Impudent welp would be taught a lesson. Slitting his eyes, he glared out the window in front of him. "Headman." The faint call of the servant still standing nervously behind him drug Touga's attention away from the scenery outside and over to his nervously bowing figure. "What?"

Hesitating for just a moment, he straightened up and looked at Touga with a slight frown marring his features. "Headman, there is a visitor waiting for you in the courtyard." Touga mirrored the servant's frown and let the message drop to the floor beside him and moved to follow the servant out of his office. "Did they give a name?"

"Yes, Headman. Senshi had been a guard stationed here." The servant dipped his head slightly and stopped beside the doors leading to the courtyard.

Raising an eyebrow in surprise, Touga slid the door open and stepped outside, immediately catching sight of the guard as he spoke with several others outside. "Senshi."

The young man turned to the demon once he heard his name spoken and nodded to the other soldiers before walking towards him with a determined glint in his eyes. "I am sure you have heard of Lady Niki's kidnapping?"

"You would be correct, however, I wonder how you know so soon." Crossing his arms, Touga eyed the young man critically, making him twitch ever so slightly. "The carriage driver had run when they were attacked, he returned to Lord Sesshomaru's castle and told the story. I have come to offer my services."

Snorting through his nose, Touga turned away from him, already dismissing the young Soldier's offer before he could finish. "I do not need anyone's help in retrieving Niki. You may return to your post at my son's castle."

Senshi grit his teeth and grabbed onto the demon's sleeve before he walked away. "If I may be so bold, Lady Niki had informed me of your offer for her to choose her own husband. I will not stand idly by while you rescue her alone, I have come to offer my sword not for you, Headman, but for Lady Niki. Do not simply ignore me."

He stiffened at the Soldier's words, of course she would say something about what he said. It made sense, however it did not mean he would be happy about it either. "Indeed." Turning his head to look over his shoulder, Touga eyed the young man once more, sizing him up for the first time as an opponent. "Very well, be prepared to leave within the hour." With those final words, the Inu pulled his sleeve from Senshi's grip and strode back into the Shiro to gather his swords and armor.

It wouldn't bother him if the boy wanted to die in battle, so be it, after the ceremony, he could easily be the one to comfort Niki. Of course if the boy lived, she would be drawn to him for facing a dangerous situation just to help rescue her.

Truthfully, his so-called Daughter's message demanding he come alone was foolish. While he could easily do so and still whip her, he couldn't deny the boy his courage either.

He could easily loose any ground he made with Niki by allowing him to join, but he couldn't overlook Niki's safety while he battled with his eldest pup, she could easily be harmed and without her being by his side the entire time, he wouldn't know until it was too late.

Letting a small sigh slip past his lips, Touga strapped his armor on and slipped the two swords he had Totosai forge for him into his waistband. There was nothing he could do about this, the best choice would be to allow Senshi to accompany him so he could be assured she was taken a safe distance away and cared for until he was finished beating some sense into his daughter.

This would be beyond aggravating.

* * *

The soft sound of something sliding across the ground brought Niki out of her light doze and a grimace to her face at the faint throbbing in her head. The nap seemed to help curb the most of the pain, but it didn't get rid of it entirely.

"Child, why are you tied up?" Now that voice was familiar. Even after only meeting him once, it was just one of those voices you never forgot. "Forest guardian?" She rasped in surprise, eyes shooting open to see the snake-like demon guardian of the forest she met months ago during the beginning of the journey they took to save Sonya.

"It would sssseem Ssso." He smiled wryly, a hand reaching out to help her sit up, gripping her shoulder tight when she swayed slightly. "Your friend came to assssk for assisssstance." He added, eyes moving over to the small snake sliding up to curl on her lap, head lifted to stare at the two of them.

"So that's where you went..." Niki smiled down at her little friend, wishing more than ever her hands were free so she could pet him in thanks. "You are the best."

"Lean forward, child. I will cut the rope." The guardian said gently, his hand pushing slightly on her shoulder to make her bend towards her knees. "Oof.. I'm not as flexible as you snakes you know." She grumbled under her breath, earning a soft, hissing laugh from the guardian as he cut the binds on her arms away. "It would appear you are not."

Groaning softly at the painful rush of blood to her hands, Niki brought them forward and rubbed at her arms where the rope had dug in with clenched teeth. "Jeez, did they have to try and kill my arms?"

"Your handsss are cold." The guardian commented, the rest of his long body slithering into the small cave to curl around them in a large coil. "You will need nourissshment to regain your ssstrength."

"I'm fine, just a little wore out from getting my head bashed in." She looked up at the guardian and smiled lightly at his confused expression. "it means I hit my head hard on something."

Nodding his head, the snake leaned closer and probed at her head lightly until she hissed in pain once he made contact with a rather large lump.

"I sssee." Turning from her head, he looked down at the snake on her lap she was gently stroking with her fingers. Hissing a couple of commands to him, they both watched as the snake lifted his head and slid from her lap and back outside into the light. "What did you tell him?"

"I requessssted he bring food and water to you." He explained, looking back down at Niki's pale face with a scrutinizing expression. "Sssleep for now. I will wake you when he returnsss."

"You won't leave me?" She asked quietly, not willing to admit she was scared, but not too above asking for protection either. The guardian's lips twisted into a gentle smile, one hand stroking her hair lightly, careful to avoid the lump there. "Yesss, now Sssleep."

Sending a tired smile up at her unusual protector, Niki allowed herself to be laid back against one of the coils behind her, eyes drifting shut under the gentle hand calming her as she drifted back off to sleep with the watchful eyes of the Forest Guardian keeping her safe.

* * *

Even with as small as Senshi was compared to his true form, Touga could still hear the man's panicked breathing along with his thundering heartbeat while he clutched the fur on his back. Inwardly, he chuckled at his obvious fear as he rode on his back to the destination his daughter designated for their supposed battle to take place. Already he could feel the rush in his blood, the slightly painful tingle in his limbs that always accompanied him into any fight that would be worth his time.

While she was powerful in her own right, he saw this when she attacked the village, he knew it wouldn't take much to bring her down. She still had much to learn, and now that he had the chance to, he could teach her about the Inu side of her nature. If she would even let him, that is.

Tipping his head back, he let loose a thunderous howl to the sky, earning a yelp of surprise from the young man clinging to his back and only making his amusement grow. In the back of his mind, under the rush of battle stirring him, Touga couldn't help but think Niki would only have laughed before it was buried once more by the tingling in his blood once more.

Despite the fact it was his own flesh and blood he would be facing, he couldn't help but feel the call to fight. His blood fairly sang with the urge to clash wills with the one that demanded they faced. Yes, this would prove to break the monotony of his current life, as well as release his frustrations from the past month from attempting to gain Niki's attention as a courtier rather than her _'friend'_ as she called him.

Giving himself a slight shake, he spotted the very cliff he had pinned Ryuukoutsei, the place quite obviously destroyed from the battle his youngest -Inuyasha- had against the aggravating dragon. Angling downwards, he didn't miss Senshi's startled intake of air at the sudden shift of direction just before they landed. All four paws planted firmly on the ground, he lay down and looked back at the young man still clinging to his fur pointedly.

Senshi flushed in embarrassment before turning and sliding down to the ground, his eyes wide in awe as the giant dog before him swirled in demonic energy for a few moments before reappearing as Touga once more. Rolling his shoulders slightly under the armor he wore, Touga turned to look around the area carefully, searching for his daughter before setting off in the direction of the cliff he spotted from the air. "Come, we walk from here." He called over his shoulder at the still dazed man.

Jerking back to attention, Senshi straightened his back with a stubborn line pulling his lips and followed the demon into the ravine in silence.

* * *

A gentle hand stroking her hair brought Niki out of her dreams and back into the waking world. Grumbling softly, she tried to duck away from the intruding touch only to earn a hissing chuckle she had come to know fairly well. "Mmm... Guardian?" Peering through bleary eyes, she studied the fuzzy image in front of her before sitting upright and stretching her arms over her head with a loud yawn.

"There isss food." Came the reply to her sleepy question instead. Turning to face him, Niki frowned slightly in thought, hand automatically reaching up to adjust her glasses, eyes shifting over to where he pointed and landing on the small pile of fruit sitting beside her. "Oh..." Blinking, she turned to look up at the guardian once again in confusion.

"Your friend hasss gathered it." Was his answer to her unasked question, a twinkle of amusement in his gaze as she looked down at the small snake curled up on her lap with a small smile. "Well then, I suppose I should thank you." Niki carefully picked up the small snake and allowed it to wrap around her arm in it's sleepy state, head lifting up to gaze at her before laying back down on her wrist and returning to sleep.

"Are you hungry?" She turned to the guardian next, a apple sitting on her outstretched palm and a curious smile on her lips as the guardian studied the fruit closely before shaking his head. "I require meat, child." He murmured, gently closing her fingers around the proffered fruit with a slight smile of his own.

"Oh, right. Sorry." Niki ducked her head down in embarrassment, taking a bite out of the apple nervously. This was the first time she had spent any time around a demon that wasn't pack and honestly didn't know what to say to him. True, he came to help her when he obviously didn't need to, his forest was-

A small gasp slipped from her as she jerked her head up to look at the Guardian's curious expression. "The forest! What happened? It was so dark when we left..."

Hearing this, he smiled and coiled his body around her more securely before settling his torso on one of the loops himself so he could study her closely. "I found and dessstroyed the artifact causssing the darknesss." He finally explained, watching as the slight panic in her gaze died down and was replaced with relief. "Oh, that's good. I wondered what happened after we left." Smiling at him, she returned to her fruit, eyes drifting down to the red skin standing out in contrast against her pale, dirt smudged hand.

"Do you know how long I've been here?" She asked suddenly, looking back up at the Guardian with a slight frown on her face, trying to think back to the day where the carriage had been attacked.

"I do not know how many daysss you have been here before my arrival." He murmured, watching as her gaze shifted back to him in thought. "However, it hasss been one day since I have arrived." He watched her eyebrows draw together in concentration, obviously trying to figure out how long she had been stuck in the cave before she slumped back against one of his coils behind her. "I'm going to guess and say I've been here for at least three days. Probably wrong, but it's my best guess." Shrugging her shoulders, she tossed the apple core outside the opening of the cave they sat in before picking up another piece of fruit and biting into that one as well.

A sudden tensing of the Guardian's muscles made her blink up at him as he straightened up, torso turning to face the cave opening as he narrowed his eyes slightly. "What is it?" She asked finally, moving forward to rest her arms on the coils of his body, leaning forward to try and see out the cave opening herself with a frown.

After a pause, he turned to look down at her tired, drawn face and moved so his gaze was level with her own. "Your companion hasss arrived." He stated simply, making her eyebrows shoot up in surprise, then furrow in confusion just as quick. "Huh?"

"The dog you traveled with." He added, making her frown in thought then look up, one eyebrow raised as she smiled wryly. "There were three dogs I was with when we passed through the forest."

Huffing out a small laugh, he ran his fingers through her hair fondly before slowly uncoiling his body, giving her enough time to straighten up and stand on her feet as he moved out from under her. "The oldessst one."

"Touga?" She frowned and finished off her second apple thoughtfully and tossed it outside to join the other one and followed him to the entrance. "Why is he here?"

"I would asssume he issss here to sssave you." The Guardian stated idly, watching as several emotions flickered across her face before settling on slight confusion. "I guess so, but how did he know I was even here?" Studying her face curiously, he shifted so his body curled behind her legs. "I do not know, child." Reaching over, he rested a hand on her head then turned to lead her down the same path he took to get there, glancing behind now and again to see if she followed as he moved on.

It wouldn't do to have her so close to where he could feel the stirrings of a battle beginning. Despite the fact he was certain the dog would win, his power was rather strong, even for one so old as he. The Guardian didn't want to think what might happen if a stray blast of energy might be aimed at the cave she had been held captive in.

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